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| Multiple Sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Research Trials The Multiple Sclerosis Unit cares for approximately 471 patients with multiple sclerosis per year at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. The Unit participates in 13 clinical trials of potential therapies for multiple sclerosis. This activity allows our patients access to the latest advances in therapy and keeps medical and nursing staff up-to-date with current trends. Most of the trials have an MRI component which strengthens our links with the Department of Radiology. Apart from the inpatient and outpatient care of patients with multiple sclerosis, the MS Unit has a major commitment to the conduct of randomized clinical trials of new medication for multiple sclerosis. This activity allows our patients access to the latest advances in therapy and keeps medical and nursing staff up-to-date with current trends. The trials also have an MRI component which strengthens our links with the neuro-radiologi Yes, I want to fight against Multiple Sclerosis and make a donation. |
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| Ausimmune A prospective Australian multi-centre study of environmental factors in first demyelinating event: a case control study. We have recruited over 300 patients to this study and have established that there is a strong latitudinal gradient of incidence and we are now interrogating the environmental factors that drive susceptibility at both the individual and community level. Vitamin D in Multiple Sclerosis A prospective randomised double-blind study assessing the efficacy of high dose Vitamin D in limiting disease activity as assessed primarily by MRI in MS. Gene expression profiling in first demyelinating events. A prospective analysis of the genes expressed by CD3 positive lymphocytes of patients both during their first demyelinating event and after recovery compared to the profile exhibited by cohorts. ANZGene A multicentre study of 2,000 patients designed to assess the genetic determinants of clinical course, concentrating on patients with primary progressive and overt relapsing-remit |
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| The role of MRI in predicting visual dysfunction in chronic optic neuritis There is a compelling need to develop new therapies for multiple sclerosis that either protect the nervous system from immune damage or which assist in its regeneration. This requires not only candidate treatments but also robust mechanisms by which to test them in clinical trials, mechanisms that unfortunately are not, as yet, available. We have posited that detailed study of optic neuritis, one of the common presenting features of multiple sclerosis, might address this need. To establish whether this is the case, we have analysed the relationship between changes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in particular those defined by diffusion weighted imaging and assessments of optic nerve volume, with changes in visual function, as assessed by multifocal visual evoked potentials (mfVEPs) after optic neuritis. We found that there were significant abnormalities in MRI and mfVEP measures in nerves affected by past optic neuritis in comparison with controls. In particular, variance in mfVEP amplitude asymmetry was explained by a linear model combining fractional anisotropy as a diffusion-based measure and nerve volume asymmetry measures (R=0.80). These results suggest that MRI is likely to provide useful outcome measures in studies assessing the efficacy of neuroprotective therapy in MS and other neurodegenerati MS Base An international, online registry and platform for collaborative outcomes research on multiple sclerosis. Since 2004, the Royal Melbourne Hospital Neuroscience Unit has played a major leadership role in the development and implementation of MSBase (www.msbase.org | ||
