b'Medicine & Researchdisability for many diagnosed with MS. Whatin 2022. The Neural Sleeve from Cionics is a about those already living with MS-relateddevice to help with foot drop. Foot drop is an disability though? How close are we to havingunderappreciated and undertreated gait issue neural repair treatment options? One potentialin MS. It results in poor endurance, increased avenue for reversing MS disability is throughfall risks, and strain on the knees, hips, and mesenchymal stem cells. These cells are morelower back. Functional Electrical Stimulation mature than embryonic stem cells (and likelydevices offer an alternative to standard ankle safer) and have the capacity to repair differentfoot orthotics for managing foot drop. The tissues. Research on the potential benets ofnew Neural Sleeve joins devices such as, the mesenchymal stem cells in MS is still in theBioness L300 and WalkAide in helping people early stages but we are seeing some positivewith MS walk better. Our team has not had a results.chance to try out the Neural Sleeve yet but is An Israeli research group reported signicantexcited to do so. reductions in the CSF levels of neurolamentThe other new recently approved device light chain, a marker of axonal injury, inis the PoNS Neural Stimulator from Helius progressive MS subjects who got injections ofMedical Technologies. This device hopes to the cells into their spinal uid. No signicantpromote neural plasticity or rerouting of motor reductions in those levels were seen in thepathways to help improve walking. The device groups who got placebo infusions or stem cellincludes a headset with a small tab that is worn infusions intravenously. In an earlier publication,under the tongue during physical therapy or this same research group reported clinicalexercise. Again, this technology is new and improvements in walking and cognition inmost MS healthcare teams have not had a the group receiving stem cell infusions intochance to work with it in the real world. the spinal uid.Lessons learned from COVID-19For our team here at Shepherd Center, weNoreviewof2022wouldbecomplete are one of three U.S. sites participating in awithoutdiscussingCOVID-19.Fortunately, study sponsored by IMSTEM. This is a Phasethe virus seems to be mutating in a direction 1 clinical study of intravenous stem cell infusionsthat results in less severe illness. While Omicron for individuals with all forms of MS. Neuralvariants are quite contagious, they tend to repair is the Holy Grail of managing manycause less severe symptoms than the Delta neurological conditions ranging from MS tovariantfromlast year.Somethings weve spinal cord injury to stroke. I do believe welearned about MS and COVID include: will see a day soon when real world options People with MS are not generally at higher are available.risk for COVID infections. New devices may help x COVID vaccine reactions do not appear to walking issuesbe different in people with MS versus those While we await answers for neural repair,without. research is giving us new ways of adapting to Some MS disease-modifying therapies may the challenges posed by MS. Gait or walkingmake COVID vaccines less effective. This is issues are common with MS. The FDA approvedespeciallytrueforourB-celltherapies two new devices to help address those challenges(Ocrevus, Rituxan, Truxima and Kesimpta). msfocusmagazine.org 52'