Research and treatment timeline: 30+ years of ms milestones | 4

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ms canada Fall/Winter 2012 2 am often reminded, I during conversations with people living with multiple sclerosis, that hope for an end Yves savoie to MS can mean very different things to different people. Whether it’s hope for a cure or hope for more effective symptom management, we are hopeful that advances in research will one day offer a means to an end to MS. This issue of MS Canada focuses on research, past and present. Through increasing our knowledge about multiple sclerosis we are hopeful that a future free of this disease can exist. We welcome the federal government’s announcement that the Phase I/II clinical trial for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) has received the necessary medical and ethical approvals required to proceed. The national MS interventional clinical trial is a collaborative initiative between the Government of Canada, provinces where there are trial sites and the MS Society. We are hopeful that the research of Dr. Traboulsee and his collaborators will provide significant insights to those living with MS and provide answers on questions about CCSVI and MS. My sincerest thanks to those who provided feedback on the Renewal Initiative, a 12-month process of engagement that sought ways for Ms Canada, Fall/Winter 2012 Published by the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada 175 Bloor St. E., Suite 700, Toronto ON M4W 3R8 Tel: (416) 922-6065 • Fax: (416) 922-7538 Toll free: 1-866-922-6065 • Website: mssociety.ca/mscanada Charitable Registration no. 10774 6174 RR0001 Our Mission: To be a leader in finding a cure for multiple sclerosis and enabling people affected by MS to enhance their quality of life. President and chief executive officer: Yves Savoie Editor-in-chief: Tiffany Regaudie Managing editor: Krysta Celestine ISSN 0315-1131 Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40063383 Message from yves the MS Society to be more effective and efficient in delivering upon its mission. To those who provided input during this process, please know that you have played a significant role in helping to ensure that we will continue to best serve those affected by MS. For up to date information on the Renewal Initiative please visit mssociety.ca/renewal I am also pleased to announce the appointment of Owen Charters to the position of chief development officer (CDO) effective January 14, 2013. Owen has played significant leadership roles spanning from hospital foundations to member-based, multi-level national organizations. Owen served CanadaHelps as president and chief executive officer since 2007 and is currently adjunct faculty at the Schulich School of Business at York University. Owen will provide strategic vision and dynamic leadership as the architect of the MS Society’s development and marketing programs. A note of recognition and gratitude is also extended to Genzyme, a Sanofi Company, for their support of this edition of MS Canada through an unrestricted educational grant. I have heard from people living with MS that research brings them hope. I share in this sentiment and hope that the future will also bring answers and a cure. ■ Yves Savoie Attention! We would like to keep in touch via email. If you would like to receive future issues of MS Canada electronically instead of a printed version, please send your full name, current address and email address to mscanada@mssociety.ca ON THE COVER: Dr. Jiwon Oh, winner of the Decker Family endMS Research and Training Network Transitional Career Development Award
Friendly Visiting Volunteer Program: Companionship for long-term care residents Clare, a former nurse with secondaryprogressive MS, has lived in long-term care for 12 years. While she is fortunate to have many friends and family who visit her, Clare is especially grateful for her friendship with Robin, her visitor from the MS Society’s Friendly Visiting Volunteer Program. “Robin and I are so much alike,” Clare says. “We hit it off right away.” Robin, who was diagnosed with MS three years ago, visits her every Thursday. “We just sit and share things,” Clare says. “We go to the farmer’s market in the morning when it’s a little cooler and when we’re at a better energy level.” A study led by Dr. Sharon Warren of the University of Alberta 1 found that people with MS who live in long-term care are often isolated, lonely and at risk of depression. In 2008, the MS Society, Alberta and Northwest Territories Division successfully advocated for provincial government funding for the Friendly Visiting Volunteer Program, which matches Anne was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in April 2012, but she and her doctor believe she has had the disease for more than 20 years. “I’ve experienced a lot of small, mysterious symptoms throughout my life,” Anne says. “When I was finally able to put a name to the disease, I tried to find out everything I could about it.” When Anne accessed the MS Society website, she discovered the new MS Research Portal; as a former nurse, Anne sees the value of participating in medical research. To start, Anne took part in Dr. Michelle Ploughman’s extensive “Canadian Survey of Health Lifestyle and Aging with MS,” which gathers information on mental health, physical health, volunteers with people with MS who would benefit from companionship. The program currently operates in Edmonton and Calgary, where over 100 residents receive visits from volunteers and staff who run the program. The MS Society is working closely with the Alberta government to expand the program to rural Alberta. Clare feels that Robin has become much more than a visitor. The two share a very warm friendship, and every week that they are together, they provide each other with moral support. The visits also give her a sense of satisfaction. “I’m not nursing physically, but I’m nursing on a psychological and spiritual level,” Clare says. For more information, visit mssociety.ca/ friendlyvisiting ■ 1 Warren, S. et al. A profile of multiple sclerosis patients in long term care centres using the Continuing Care Needs Determination Instrument (CCNDI). Presented at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centres Conference, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2000. MS Research Portal: you can participate in ms research diet, exercise, smoking, stress and other aspects of health in relation to the trajectory of MS in one’s life. The MS Research Portal website features research studies in Canada that are currently seeking participants. All studies are supported by the MS Society or other recognized funding agencies that have formal peer review processes. “Participating in research isn’t just for me,” Anne says. “The information I provide is going to help someone else with MS looking to educate themselves on the disease.” To access the MS Research Portal, visit msresearch.ca ■ ms canada Fall/Winter 2012 3
Page 1: Volume 39 • Issue 2 Research and
Page 5 and 6: special feature: Spotlight on resea
Page 7 and 8: environment as a possible cause of
Page 9 and 10: canadian Physical Activity Guidelin
Page 11 and 12: Lacey Andreas inspires the movement

Research and treatment timeline: 30+ years of ms milestones | 4

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