b"Medicine & ResearchDoctors NotesThe MS News column includes analysis from Ben Thrower, M.D., MS Focus senior medical advisor. He draws from the top news stories of the quarter and explains what the news means to you, the person with MS. Christine Willis, MLIS, AHIP, is the Clinical Information Librarian at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Egleston Hospital.Sex differences and their effectin healthcare. If you are experiencing issues on quality of liferelated to sexual function or satisfaction, discuss Data from people with MS enrolled in theit with your healthcare team. The situation Comprehensive Longitudinal Investigation ofwill likely be unique for each individual, but Multiple Sclerosis at the Brigham and Womenschances are good that help is available. That may Hospital who completed patient-reported out- mean we manage spasticity, fatigue, or bladder come measuresMultiple Sclerosis Quality ofsymptoms more effectively. We may need to Life-54, Modied Fatigue Impact Scale, andget some help from a couples counselor, urologist, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depressionor gynecologist. The rst step, though, is making Scalewere analyzed for a research study.your healthcare team aware of the problem. There were 702 participants included in theFDA authorizes marketing of gait analysis to assess low sexual function andimprovement device in MS patientssatisfaction. Sexual function was found to beIn March 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug signicantly associated with fatigue, but notAdministration authorized Helius Medical to depression, in both males and females. Inmarket a portable neuromodulation stimulator. contrast, sexual satisfaction was signicantlyThis is a device indicated for use as a short-term associated with depression for both males andtreatment of gait decit because of the mild females, but only females showed a signicantto moderate symptoms from MS. The device link between satisfaction and fatigue. Whileis intended to be used by prescription only as these ndings are helpful, more needs to bean adjunct to a supervised therapeutic exer-done to understand this issue and assist peoplecise program in patients 22 years of age and withtreatmentoptions. Thendings wereolder. It is a neuromuscular tongue stimulator published in the journal Multiple Sclerosisthat consists of a nonimplantable apparatus and Related Disorders.to generate electrical pulses for stimulation of Thrower -Sex can be an important part of onesthe trigeminal and facial nerves through the quality of life. Sexual function and satisfactiontongue to provide treatment of motor decits. depend upon many emotional and physical factors. Given the potential for MS to affectThe FDA assessed the safety and effectiveness physical and emotional well-being, its notof the device through two clinical studies and a surprising it can also affect sexual functionretrospective analysis of real-world data. and satisfaction in both men and women.Thrower -Current MS management can be Communication is key with the many issuesdivided into therapies that treat acute relapses; msfocusmagazine.org 46"