News

Ad Scientiam to develop smart device to track NMOSD symptoms

Ad Scientiam is developing new digital biomarkers of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) that may allow continuous and remote monitoring of patients’ symptoms over time. The Paris-based software company announced the program launch along with a similar one for people with generalized myasthenia gravis, another rare autoimmune…

ACTRIMS 2023: NMOSD affects 3 times more women than men in US

The annual prevalence of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in the U.S. is considerably higher than previously estimated, affecting about nine out of every 100,000 people, according to a study that analyzed 2021 electronic health records. The data also showed that the disease is more than twice as common…

Marching into spring with an eye toward raising awareness of NMOSD

March is NMOSD Awareness Month and patients and advocates are planning several initiatives to put a new focus on the progressive autoimmune disease, known fully as neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. Affecting more than 25,000 people worldwide, NMOSD is a disorder characterized by inflammation of the optic nerve — the…

Visual, verbal impairments seen in third of NMOSD patients in study

More than a third of people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) show cognitive impairment, particularly in visual processing speed and verbal domains, according to a large study in Germany. This cognitive impairment was independent of disease duration and remained constant over two years of follow-up. It also did…

‘Double-positive’ NMOSD patient safely treated with ofatumumab

A rare case of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in a patient positive for antibodies against both aquaporin-4 (AQP4) protein and the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) was successfully treated with ofatumumab, a B-cell depleting medication approved for multiple sclerosis (MS), a case study reported. According to its researchers, this case represents…

NLR immune cell ratio may be NMOSD inflammation biomarker

People with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) have a significantly higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), an immune cell-based marker of inflammation, than healthy people, a review study showed. A higher NLR ratio was also significantly associated with a greater chance of relapse, severe disability, and new or enlarging lesions on…