PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Kessler Foundation study provides first Class 1 evidence for cognitive rehabilitation in MS

MEMREHAB Trial shows a significant effect for cognitive rehabilitation in MS that lasts 6 months

2013-11-22
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Carolann Murphy
CMurphy@kesslerfoundaiton.org
973-324-8382
Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation study provides first Class 1 evidence for cognitive rehabilitation in MS MEMREHAB Trial shows a significant effect for cognitive rehabilitation in MS that lasts 6 months WEST ORANGE, NJ November 21, 2013. Kessler Foundation researchers published the results of the MEMREHAB Trial in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, providing the first Class I evidence for the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis (MS). The article, Chiaravalloti N, Moore NB, Nikelshpur OM, DeLuca D: An RCT to treat learning impairment in MS. Neurology 2013(81), was released as an epub ahead of print on November 8. It was accompanied by an editorial: Filippi M, Rocca MA: Let's rehabilitate cognitive rehabilitation for MS. Neurology 2013(81):1-2.

Although disabling cognitive problems that affect functional performance and employment are common in persons with MS, there are very few evidence-based protocols for cognitive rehabilitation in MS. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) is the first to include both objective (investigator administered) and subjective measures (patient and family self-report). Investigators looked at the impact of the modified Story Memory Technique (mSMT) on learning and memory in 86 participants with MS with documented memory deficits (41 mSMT group, 45 placebo). Not only did objective measures improve, patients and families reported improvements in daily function in everyday life - improvements that had a positive impact on satisfaction with life and everyday contentment.

"Our results show that cognitive rehabilitation works," said Nancy Chiaravalloti, Ph.D., director of Neuroscience & Neuropsychology Research at Kessler Foundation, "and moreover, the effects of the 10-session protocol persisted for six months." a unique aspect of the protocol is the inclusion of 2 sessions that focus on translating cognitive strategies to daily life. Neuroimaging results that were collected in a subset of patients were published in the Journal of Neurology in 2012 (Chiaravalloti N, et al. Increased cerebral activation after behavioral treatment for memory deficits in MS. J Neurol 2012;259:1337-46). FMRI supported the clinical results, as evidenced by changes in brain activation, noted Dr. Chiaravalloti.

The two studies are being used to support reimbursement for cognitive rehabilitation. "RCTs are essential to demonstrating to third party payers that cognitive rehabilitation should be a reimbursable intervention," commented John DeLuca, Ph.D., VP of Research & Training at Kessler Foundation. "Behavioral intervention should be available for persons with MS who have memory deficits. Without reimbursement, however, few clinicians will use it and few patients will benefit."

The mSMT protocol has been translated into Spanish and is being used in the U.S., Mexico, and Argentina. A Chinese translation has also been completed for use in upcoming studies. Future studies will consider other factors such as type of MS, the duration of MS, and level of cognitive reserve.

INFORMATION:

Funding: NIH R01 HD045798; NIDRR H133P090009.

About MS Research at Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation's cognitive rehabilitation research in MS is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, National MS Society, NJ Commission of Brain Injury Research, Consortium of MS Centers, and Kessler Foundation. Under the leadership of John DeLuca. Ph.D., and Nancy Chiaravalloti, Ph.D., director of Neuropsychology & Neuroscience Research, scientists have made important contributions to the knowledge of cognitive decline in MS. Clinical studies span new learning, memory, executive function, attention and processing speed, emotional processing and cognitive fatigue. Research tools include innovative applications of neuroimaging, iPADs, and virtual reality. Among recent findings are the benefits of cognitive reserve and aerobic exercise; correlation between cognitive performance and outdoor temperatures; efficacy of short-term cognitive rehabilitation using modified story technique; and the correlation between memory improvement and cerebral activation on fMRI.

About Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. For more information, visit KesslerFoundation.org.

KesslerFoundation.org facebook.com/KesslerFoundation http://twitter.com/#!/KesslerFdn

Carolann Murphy, PA; 973.324.8382; CMurphy@KesslerFoundation.org
Lauren Scrivo, 973.324.8384/973.768.6583 (cell); LScrivo@KesslerFoundation.org

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

NASA sees Tropical Storm Helen affecting southeastern India

2013-11-22
NASA sees Tropical Storm Helen affecting southeastern India NASA's Aqua satellite captured visible and infrared imagery of slow-moving Tropical Storm Helen as it was spreading its western clouds over parts of southeastern India on November 21. On Nov. 21 at 07:55 ...

NASA catches Melissa's fickle life as a tropical storm

2013-11-22
NASA catches Melissa's fickle life as a tropical storm

What can happen when graphene meets a semiconductor

2013-11-22
What can happen when graphene meets a semiconductor UWM study shows another feature that affects electron transport in graphene For all the promise of graphene as a material for next-generation electronics and quantum computing, scientists still don't know ...

Searching for cosmic accelerators via IceCube

2013-11-22
Searching for cosmic accelerators via IceCube Berkeley Lab researchers part of an international hunt In our universe there are particle accelerators 40 million times more powerful than the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. Scientists don't know what ...

Does obesity reshape our sense of taste?

2013-11-22
Does obesity reshape our sense of taste? In a new study, mice who were overweight had fewer taste cells capable of detecting sweetness BUFFALO, N.Y. — Obesity may alter the way we taste at the most fundamental level: by changing how our tongues react to different ...

A hallmark for the development of testicular tumors found in the aberrant regulation of small non-coding RNA

2013-11-22
A hallmark for the development of testicular tumors found in the aberrant regulation of small non-coding RNA Researchers from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) in Barcelona, Spain, have studied the role of a peculiar class of small non-coding RNAs that ...

Minority parents fear for kids online

2013-11-22
Minority parents fear for kids online Asian, Hispanic, black parents more concerned than whites about online safety issues EVANSTON, Ill. --- Nearly all parents agree -- when their children go online, stranger danger is their biggest safety concern, followed closely ...

Heavy drinking is bad for marriage if 1 spouse drinks, but not both

2013-11-22
Heavy drinking is bad for marriage if 1 spouse drinks, but not both BUFFALO, N.Y. – Do drinking and marriage mix? That depends on who's doing the drinking — and how much — according to a recent study by the University at Buffalo Research Institute on Addictions ...

Research paves path for hybrid nano-materials that could replace human tissue or today's pills

2013-11-22
Research paves path for hybrid nano-materials that could replace human tissue or today's pills Brooklyn, New York—A team of researchers has uncovered critical information that could help scientists understand how protein polymers interact ...

NASA sees 'watershed' cosmic blast in unique detail

2013-11-22
NASA sees 'watershed' cosmic blast in unique detail VIDEO: This animation shows the most common type of gamma-ray burst, thought to occur when a massive ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Lipids with potential health benefits in herbal teas

Synergically improved energy storage performance and stability in sol–gel processed BaTiO3/(Pb,La,Ca)TiO3/BaTiO3 tri-layer films with a crystalline engineered sandwich structure

International collaboration enabled participatory stock assessment on glass eel fisheries in West Java, Indonesia

Enhanced melanoma vaccine offers improved survival for men

Nearly one-third of patients with TBI have marginal or inadequate health literacy

Genetic causes of cerebral palsy uncovered through whole-genome sequencing

Modesty and boastfulness – perception depends on usual performance

Do sweeteners increase your appetite? New evidence from randomised controlled trial says no 

Women with obesity do not need to gain weight during pregnancy, new study suggests

Individuals with multiple sclerosis face substantially greater risk of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19, despite high rates of vaccination

Study shows obesity in childhood associated with a more than doubling of risk of developing multiple sclerosis in early adulthood

Rice Emerging Scholars Program receives $2.5M NSF grant to boost STEM education

Virtual rehabilitation provides benefits for stroke recovery

Generative AI develops potential new drugs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Biofuels could help island nations survive a global catastrophe, study suggests

NJIT research team discovering how fluids behave in nanopores with NSF grant

New study shows association of historical housing discrimination and shortfalls in colon cancer treatment

Social media use may help to empower plastic surgery patients

Q&A: How to train AI when you don't have enough data

Wayne State University researchers uncover potential treatment targets for Zika virus-related eye abnormalities

Discovering Van Gogh in the wild: scientists unveil a new gecko species

Small birds spice up the already diverse diet of spotted hyenas in Namibia

Imaging detects transient “hypoxic pockets” in the mouse brain

Dissolved organic matter could be used to track and improve the health of freshwaters

Indoor air quality standards in public buildings would boost health and economy, say international experts

Positive associations between premenstrual disorders and perinatal depression

New imaging method illuminates oxygen's journey in the brain

Researchers discover key gene for toxic alkaloid in barley

New approach to monitoring freshwater quality can identify sources of pollution, and predict their effects

Bidirectional link between premenstrual disorders and perinatal depression

[Press-News.org] Kessler Foundation study provides first Class 1 evidence for cognitive rehabilitation in MS
MEMREHAB Trial shows a significant effect for cognitive rehabilitation in MS that lasts 6 months