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Summary & Participants

People with multiple sclerosis may eventually face problems walking and thinking. But a number of disease-altering drugs may increase the time it takes for these various disabilities to worsen.

Medically Reviewed On: July 27, 2006

Webcast Transcript

ANNOUNCER: When a person has multiple sclerosis, it is impossible to predict the course of the disease for that individual. But there are some general trends, and at some point, people with MS will likely experience relapses and may experience problems with cognition or walking.

FREDERICK MUNSCHAUER, MD: Certainly, one of the things that's most important to a patient is their ability to ambulate, to get around at home, at work, at play; and multiple sclerosis does frequently affect your ability to walk.

ANNOUNCER: Untreated, large studies have shown that most people with MS would experience some problems walking within a decade of diagnosis.

HEIDI CRAYTON, MD: Within about ten years, a patient with MS would probably notice that they're having some difficulties in gait. It may be difficulties in actually walking, or walking the same distance that they could prior to the disease. Then, as their disease goes on 10 or 15 years, they probably would need some assistive device, at least a one-sided assistive device, like a cane or a crutch, to help them get around. Probably 20 years, or maybe a little bit longer, before they would actually need something like a wheelchair or bilateral assistance, meaning two canes, two crutches, to get around.

ANNOUNCER: Studies also show that many people with MS will also experience problems in how they think, especially without treatment.

FREDERICK MUNSCHAUER, MD: Cognitive difficulties, difficulty with memory, difficulty with problem-solving, difficulty multitasking occur frequently with MS. And about 50 percent of people, at ten to fifteen years into their illness, will be aware that they've just slowed down cognitively in some way.

ANNOUNCER: Within the last 10 to 15 years, researchers have developed a series of what are called "disease modifying drugs" that have been shown to alter the course of MS. Various clinical trials show clear benefit, including studies with drugs known as interferons.

HEIDI CRAYTON, MD: The phase III clinical trial data has shown us that we can decrease the progression of accumulated disability in two years with both of the interferon beta-1a products: Avonex and Rebif. Avonex decreased the rate of physical decline, accumulated physical disability, at two years by about 37 percent. Rebif, with the higher dose, showed that about 30 percent.

ANNOUNCER: Measuring decreases in physical decline can be a subjective task. Designers of these studies use benchmarks upon which doctors and their patients can easily agree.

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