Steve Bryson, PhD, science writer —

Adults with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disease (NMOSD) who are positive for antibodies against the aquaporin-4 (AQP4) protein have a higher prevalence of oval-shaped masses surrounding the optic nerve in their eyes than healthy people, a study showed. Although these masses were significantly linked to older age, their occurrence was…

Certain variations in the ESR1 gene — a protein-coding gene for estrogen receptor-alpha — are significantly more common among women with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) or multiple sclerosis (MS) than among healthy women, a small study suggests. Such differences were not observed between men with these…

Brain age gap (BAG) — the difference between calendar age and predicted brain age as determined by MRI scans — was significant in adults with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), and may predict disability in patients, a study found. The BAG was even greater in people with the related…

The incidence of pain in adults with neuromyelitis optic spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is high and was reported as the first sign of an inflammatory attack in half of patients, according to an examination of medical records. Neuropathic (nerve-related) pain, marked by uncomfortable burning or tingling, was the most common…

Inflammatory episodes in the spinal cord of people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) resulted in changes in functional connectivity in the brain, an imaging study shows. Functional connectivity refers to the correlation between brain signals over time that reflects functional connections between two or more brain regions. Reduced…

Measuring the retinal nerve layers by a non-invasive tool called optical coherence tomography may help to diagnose neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), especially in those who test negative for disease-related antibodies, according to a new study. Researchers found that nerve layers in the retina of people with NMOSD…

Impairments in the visual field — the total area in which objects can be seen in a person’s peripheral vision — were found in adults with optic neuritis (ON) related to neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), according to a new study. NMOSD patients with optic neuritis had more visual…

The CoronaVac vaccine, which contains inactivated SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, led to a severe case of late-onset neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in a 70-year-old woman. The unique case was described in an article, “Fulminant neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) following COVID-19 vaccination: A…

Self-reactive antibodies that cause most cases of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) are released directly from immune B-cells in lymph nodes as opposed to cells in the bloodstream, a study has discovered. These findings implicate ongoing lymph node activity as the main driver of disease-causing antibody production in NMOSD.

Uplizna (inebilizumab-cdon) was just as safe and effective in people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) treated after only one symptomatic attack as those treated after two or more attacks, according to an analysis of N-MOmentum Phase 2/3 trial data. This sub-analysis had sought to understand how a…