Hackensack, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/16/2015 -- The recently released issue of the International Journal of MS Care (IJMSC), the leading peer-reviewed publication on multidisciplinary multiple sclerosis (MS) care and clinical research, features an article on "Development and Effectiveness of a Psychoeducational Wellness Program for People with Multiple Sclerosis." This pilot study by Kimberly Beckwith McGuire, PhD, ABPP, MSCS, FACHP, Jelena Stojanovic-Radic, PhD, Lauren Strober, PhD, Nancy D. Chiaravalloti, PhD, and John DeLuca, PhD, ABPP, found that a psychoeducational wellness program is an effective supplement to traditional medical management to improve the overall quality of life (QOL) and well-being of individuals with MS.
"MS is a complex disease, and affects many aspects of our patients' lives. Even though this was a preliminary non-randomized controlled study, the 10-week psychoeducational wellness group program proposed by McGuire and co-authors led to significant improvement on measures of mood, stress, and pain, which are all known to deeply affect QOL," said Francois Bethoux, MD, Editor in Chief of IJMSC.
The current 2015 issue of IJMSC also has two articles to help clinicians better understand and address the needs of patients and their families. "What Are the Support Needs of Men with Multiple Sclerosis, and Are They Being Met?" is a literature review by Dominic Upton, PhD, and Charlotte Taylor, MSc. The article calls attention to the fact that men with MS have different needs than women with MS with regard to well-being and mental health, and emphasizes the need for gender-specific approaches, particularly with regard to support groups.
Through a series of focus group interviews, "Informing the Children When a Parent Is Diagnosed as Having Multiple Sclerosis," by Ylva Nilsagård, PhD, and Katrin Boström, PhD, found that information about a parent's disease should be provided at the time of diagnosis to children and then offered regularly throughout the disease course. The information should be suited to the child's level of maturity, involve a health-care provider, and be individualized to reflect the parent's clinical picture.
The effect of MS on QOL and issues related to symptom management are highlighted in three articles. The article "Disease-Related Determinants of Quality of Life 10 Years After Clinically Isolated Syndrome," by R. Philip Kinkel, MD, and colleagues, reports on data collected 10 years after a clinically isolated syndrome in the CHAMPIONS study, and shows that conversion to clinically definite MS and increased disability as evaluated on the Expanded Disability Status Scale are associated with lower QOL scores. These findings, which are similar to those in the previously published 5-year analysis, confirm the importance of preventing further disease exacerbations and progression of disability in order to preserve the well-being of MS patients.
Lori Mayer, MSN, MSCN, CCRP, and others found in "Effects of Functional Electrical Stimulation on Gait Function and Quality of Life for People with Multiple Sclerosis Taking Dalfampridine" an improvement of walking as well as QOL in patients using a functional electrical stimulation device for footdrop over a period of 3 months. These patients were already treated with dalfampridine, illustrating the strategy of combining interventions to maximize patient benefits.
The final article focuses on urinary dysfunction as another example of a physical symptom of MS that can profoundly affect QOL. "Lower Urinary Tract Symptom Prevalence and Management Among Patients with Multiple Sclerosis," by Kristin M. Khalaf, PharmD, MS, and colleagues, found that most of the participants in their study reported at least one urinary symptom, but not all of them had discussed the issue with their health-care provider. The study concludes that proper LUTS (lower urinary tract symptom) assessment and management should be addressed with every patient with MS as part of the clinical work-up.
All articles published in IJMSC in the past three years are accessible through various types of searches on PubMed Central (PMC), a free electronic archive of full-text biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the US National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine (NLM).
Each journal citation in PubMed also includes a prominent link to the original full-text version of the article at htt://www.IJMSC.org
To view the current issue of IJMSC and past issues, visit http://www.IJMSC.org
About IJMSC
The International Journal of MS Care(IJMSC) is the official peer-reviewed journal of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and the leading publication on MS clinical care and research. It is also the official publication of the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses (IOMSN) and the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation Therapists (IOMSRT). The bimonthly IJMSC publishes high-quality research, reviews, and consensus papers on a broad range of clinical topics of interest to MS health-care professionals, including neurological treatment, nursing care, rehabilitation, neuropsychological status, and psychiatric/psychosocial care. The mission of the journal is to promote multidisciplinary cooperation and communication among the global network of MS health-care professionals, with the goal of maximizing the quality of life of people affected by MS.
The IJMSC has won many editorial and design excellence awards, including the APEX Award, Communicator Award, and Hermes Creative Award.
For more information on the journal, visit http://www.ijmsc.org
About CMSC
CMSC, the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, is the leading international educational, training, and networking organization for MS health-care professionals and researchers. The CMSC's mission is to promote quality MS care through educational programming and accreditation, including live and online events, research grants, technical journals and papers, and targeted advocacy efforts. The CMSC member network includes more than 7,000 international health-care clinicians and scientists committed to MS care, as well as more than 60 Veterans Administration MS Programs and 225 MS Centers in the US, Canada, and Europe.
For more information, visit http://www.mscare.org