“MS Basics: Diagnosis and Treatment Paradigms”

May 06, 2014

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After a successful inaugural program in March, MS Cure Fund returned to “the Big Apple” for a talk with Dr. Claire Riley! Guests headed to McGee’s Pub on West 55th learn about MS from diagnosis to treatment. Dr. Riley holds several positions at Columbia University Medical Center including Director of Clinical Care and Research at the MS Center as well as Assistant Professor of Neurology. Her topic “MS Basics: Diagnosis and Treatment Paradigms” explored the wide landscape of MS therapies.

Dr. Riley covered a wide range of information in her presentation. Here are some noteworthy items of interest:

  • Vitamin D is often recommended for MS patients; it is important to mention that Vitamin D, like A, E and K, is fat soluble. This means it should be taken with a snack or small meal with fat in it.
  • Finances and a patient’s personal life can help to determine the ideal therapy for him or her. These items can include, but are not limited to, family planning, preference of injections or oral therapy, etc.
  • MRI are helpful for diagnosis and monitoring MS, but a high lesion count does not always cause or correlate to a poor neurological exam.
  • Some MS therapies cannot be taken due to other conditions such as seizures, genetic predispositions to different medical issues.