A predictive model based on laboratory and clinical risk factors for relapses in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) was found to accurately discriminate NMOSD patients experiencing a relapse within one year of diagnosis from those without a relapse, a study showed. The identified risk factors were numbers and ratios…

People having area postrema syndrome (APS), that is, uncontrollable nausea, vomiting, or hiccups, as the first symptom of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) are more likely to relapse sooner and more frequently than those having another first symptom. These are the main findings of a single-center study that retrospectively…

People with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who have experienced only one relapse tend to underestimate their risk of future relapses, but patients who’ve had multiple relapses tend to overestimate this risk, a small study has found. The findings underscore the importance of clear communication with healthcare providers so…

People who develop neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) at an older age are more likely to experience spinal cord inflammation and less likely to have eye nerve involvement, not only in the first attack but also in subsequent relapses, a study has found. In addition, data show “different relapse…

The risk of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) attacks following vaccination is low, and such attacks have not been found to be associated with any particular type of vaccine, according to a review study. Also, post-vaccine attacks tended to happen more frequently in men, patients negative for antibodies against…

Longer-term treatment with immunosuppressants may halve the risk of relapse, or of symptoms returning, in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a study in China found. When taken non-stop for up to five years, such treatment reduced the risk of relapse in NMOSD patients, with a mild rebound when immunosuppressants…

Asymptomatic, or “silent,” MRI lesions are not common during disease remission in patients with aquaporin-4 antibody neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (AQP4-NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (MOGAD), but are associated with imminent relapse when they do occur, according to a recent U.K. study. “Results of…

Rituximab may be a more effective immunosuppressive therapy for preventing a first relapse in people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) than mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), a new meta-analysis found. The anti-CD20 antibody rituximab, commonly used off-label in NMOSD, also appears to work better than azathioprine, though the results failed…

The first trimester after giving birth or ending a pregnancy is a time of high risk for women with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), with younger patients, those with more AQP4 antibodies, or inadequate prenatal care most at risk of an attack, a study…