NMO Awareness Month

Having neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) means Mother’s Day hits me a little differently. It’s not just a holiday; it’s a milestone, a victory lap, and sometimes a quiet exhale of relief that I’ve made it to another year of being “Mom.” This year feels especially meaningful, because my…

At 44, I’ve reached the age where life starts handing out plot twists no one asked for. Parents get sick. Friends, the same ones I once stayed out too late with, now text me about big health issues. And every so often, someone disappears entirely, leaving a silence that feels…

March is NMOSD Awareness Month, and advocates around the world are working to educate others and raise the profile of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), also known as neuromyelitis optica or, simply, NMO. A major international initiative this year is to name March 27 as World NMOSD Awareness Day.

Add-on hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which involves breathing pure oxygen at high pressure, may help reduce inflammation in people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), especially those with more overactive immune systems, a small study suggests. “HBOT may help rebalance the immune system in NMOSD,” researchers wrote, noting that…

A U.S.-based registry of adults with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) shows that most patients are receiving biologic therapies, either approved or not approved for NMOSD, in real-world care, according to a study of its first 350 participants. The registry, called SPHERES, has enrolled about half of…

Newer, more potent therapies offer greater benefit than standard immunosuppressants in reducing relapse rates for people who develop neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) after the age of 50, according to a large, single-center study in China. While people with late-onset NMOSD experienced more severe symptoms at onset and during…

The winter solstice — the shortest day and longest night of the year — can feel daunting, but I see it as a powerful metaphor for hope, resilience, and the promise of brighter days. I’m writing this from a place of light, so that when the darkness returns, I can…

I’m embarrassed that I was embarrassed. I was walking out of the conference hall with some new acquaintances, making polite small talk about how my firm could support their work — the things you say when you’re trying to make a good impression — and we said our goodbyes and…

Low vitamin D levels, certain infections, and specific dietary habits may increase the risk of developing neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). That’s according to the findings of a systematic review that analyzed data from 50 studies involving more than 21,000 people worldwide. Certain modifiable factors, such as diets high…

People testing negative for self-reactive antibodies against aquaporin-4 (AQP4-IgGs) — the type of antibody most commonly linked to neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) — rarely become positive for these antibodies on subsequent tests. These are the findings of a real-world study in the U.S. involving 451 people suspected of…