MSWA Bulletin Spring 16

ROUND-UP OF RESEARCH
AND OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
SUE SHAPLAND RN, BN
Here we bring you some interesting research updates from
various sites around the world.
Does the month you were born affect your risk of
developing MS?
A large study which included a very detailed survey was
undertaken to determine whether there is a pattern to birth
month for people with multiple sclerosis.
Data from more than 21,000 people with MS in the UK was
included and the study found that people diagnosed with MS
are more likely than average to have been born in April, and
less likely than average to have been born in November.
The results of the study suggest that environmental factors very
early in life contribute to the risk of MS. One of these factors
could be low sunlight exposure during winter pregnancies,
leading to low maternal vitamin D levels which in some way
increase the risk of developing MS later in life. Other factors
such as the mother’s exposure to seasonal infections or
seasonal differences in diet could also play a part.
Comment by authors: Birth month is only one of a number
of environmental factors that could influence the risk of
developing MS. Others include smoking and exposure to
infections, especially Epstein-Barr virus which causes
glandular fever.
Rodríguez Cruz PM, Matthews L, Boggild M, et al.
Are headaches more common
during a relapse?
Headaches are more common in
people with MS and this study
investigated if headaches were
more likely to occur during a
relapse than remission.
The study in Iran compared the reports from
57 people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and 57
people without a neurological condition (controls).
People with MS were questioned during a relapse and again
three months later. It was found that headaches were more
common during a relapse, particularly migraines. However,
headaches were also more common in people with MS during
remission, when compared to the general population.
Nearly 50% of people with MS having a relapse also
experienced a headache, compared with 38.6% in remission
and 27.7% in the control group. The most common type of
headache to experience during a relapse was a migraine,
followed by tension headache.
Headaches during a relapse were reported to be severe and
described as compressing. People who had been diagnosed
with MS in the last three years were more likely to experience a
headache during relapse than those who had been diagnosed
for longer.
Togha M, Abbasi Khoshsirat N, Moghadasi AN, et al.
Could Pilates have cognitive
benefits as well as physical?
In the past, people with MS
were advised to avoid exercise,
especially activities that might
be tiring. However, a number of
studies have shown that regular,
moderate exercise is a good thing.
Pilates is one of many options
available to stay active.
This study included 20 people with MS, split into two groups.
The first adhered to clinical Pilates and the second a traditional
exercise program for eight weeks.
The study found that both clinical programs improved
performance on some physical tests. Those in the Pilates
group had significant improvements in balance, fatigue
and tiredness and they had greater improvements in their
cognitive symptoms and quality of life when compared to the
traditional exercise group participants.
Küçük F, Kara B, Poyraz EÇ, Idiman. J Phys Ther Sci. 2016
Mar;28(3):761-8. Epub 2016 Mar 31.
Some forms of MS may be hereditary
After many years of saying that MS is not passed down the
generations, new research is now saying the opposite.
Researchers from Canada, led by Prof. Carles Vilariño-Güell,
report they have proven that MS can result from a single genetic
mutation on a gene called NR1H3. This, they say, produces a
protein that acts as an ‘on-off switch’ for other genes.
6 | MSWA BULLETIN SPRING 2016