diagnosis

Eye scans of people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) revealed they may have a thicker retina — the eye’s light-detector — and more blood vessels than people with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (MOGAD). That’s according to a study in which researchers used two noninvasive imaging techniques,…

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…

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…

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…

A longer time from the first symptoms of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) to seeing a neuroimmunology specialist and having an MRI scan is associated with a misdiagnosis, a new study shows. The risk of misdiagnosis was also higher among those who first presented with persistent nausea, vomiting, or…

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and the ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) enzyme appear to get shed into the bloodstream in the early stages of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a study found — suggesting that these blood proteins may one day be used to diagnose the autoimmune disease…

People with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) have elevated levels of the pro-inflammatory protein AIMP1 in the bloodstream, and higher levels seem to correlate with worse disability, a study showed. These AIMP1 levels dropped markedly after anti-inflammatory therapy, but still remained higher among patients in remission than in people…

Meeting another patient with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a rare occurrence — as rare as this disease. While most of us have incredible support networks, there’s something unparalleled about meeting another person who knows exactly what you’re going through. We don’t have to search for the right words to…

Being positive for or showing high levels of antibodies against the aquaporin-4 (AQP4) protein at diagnosis doesn’t predict worse outcomes for people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), according to a small study. Plasma exchange therapy was linked with a trend for slower disability progression, although it wasn’t…

People with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) have increased levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord — of three inflammatory biomarkers, a new study shows. The elevated concentrations of these biomarkers — YKL-40, sCD163, and sCD14 — also…