optic neuritis

Older age, a poor response to steroids, and the need for a blood-cleaning procedure known as plasma exchange all were found to increase the likelihood of a diagnosis of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) among people experiencing a first optic neuritis attack, a small study shows. These findings led…

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…

In my early 20s, I decided to drop everything and travel across Europe with my close friend Phil. Our trip was memorable for many reasons, including the fact that it was in Italy when I first felt unwell. It was a hot summer, and 14 years ago, most of Europe…

Giving immunosuppressive therapy to patients with antibodies against aquaporin-4 protein (AQP4) and optic neuritis but no symptoms may help resolve observed lesions and prevent a relapse of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a case report suggests. The case study, “Radiologically isolated aquaporin-4 antibody neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder,” was…

A case report has detailed the clinical journeys of two identical twin sisters’ simultaneous diagnosis with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a rare occurrence. NMOSD was last reported in identical twin sisters in 1938, but those girls’ symptoms started two years apart,  unlike the present case. The case report,…

I will always love the feeling of a good bass line, the way the sound escapes concert speakers and vibrates through my entire body. It’s poetic justice that this feeling can now trigger painful spasms, a symptom of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). My husband (then fiancé) and I had…

When I was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), and five years later, properly diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), I was told that a hallmark symptom of each disease was optic neuritis. This occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the optic nerve, causing inflammation, which can lead to…

Examining the thickness of certain retinal layers in the eye, along with structural changes in the eyes’ blood vessels, can help differentiate neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) from multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. Overall, two particular retinal layers — the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer…

A vision test using a 2.5%-contrast letter chart is more effective than the conventional 100%-contrast chart at detecting previous episodes of optic neuritis, an eye condition that is often the first symptom of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a study shows. Results, drawn from responses in unaffected people and those…

Activities are underway this month to raise awareness about neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a rare progressive autoimmune disorder that affects about 15,000 people in the U.S. Patients, caregivers, and advocates nationwide are flooding social media platforms, garnering state proclamations, participating in educational webinars, and holding fundraisers — all…