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…
symptoms
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…
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…
It’s the middle of the night. My body has decided it is no longer comfortable. I gingerly move my limbs, hoping to find a new position to satisfy my aches and pains. Suddenly, a spot on the top of my head is itchy, so I scratch it. Then another spot…
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 who develop neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) later in life may go on to experience worse outcomes than those who have early-onset disease, a study in China has found. Worse outcomes included a higher frequency of inflammation of the thoracic spinal cord during relapses, more brain lesions and…
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…
Tumor removal and immunosuppressive treatment can resolve neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) likely associated with different types of cancer positive for aquaporin 4 (AQP4) protein, according to data from three cases in China. Only two patients showed consistently high blood levels of antibodies against AQP4 (AQP4-IgG) — the most…
The onset of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) at an older age is linked with a greater likelihood of spinal cord involvement at the first disease attack, fewer relapses, and greater disability, according to a study in China. “Age of disease onset correlates with clinical characteristics and prognostic outcomes…