b'Medicine & Research Doctors NotesTheMSNewscolumnincludesanalysisfromBen Thrower, M.D., MS Focus senior medical advisor.Dr. Thrower draws from the top news stories of thequarter and explains what the news means to you,the person with MS. Christine Willis, MLIS, AHIP, theDirector of Knowledge Management and LearningResources at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, contributedto this story.Dalfampridine presented as a treatment The article was published in the journaloption for relapsing MSExpert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy.The eect of MS on an individuals life is Dr. Thrower: Demyelinated nerve bers in thevast, from walking to depression and anxiety, brain and/or spinal cord of a person with MSfatigue, processing speed and memory, and result in a wide variety of symptoms dependingeven visual impairments. There are a variety of upon the location. These naked nerve bers maymedications used to treat these impairments. still be able to conduct electrical information,Dalfampridine, the only drug approved to but they dont do so as eectively as their intactameliorate walking speed, has been shown neighbors. Demyelinated nerve bers are pronein some studies to potentially improve other to stop working with repetitive use or increaseareas of impairment.in core body temperature, a phenomenon calledDalfampridine is an extended-release nerve ber fatigue. This may result in changesmedication that showed some improvement in vision, strength, sensation, coordination, orin timed motor tasks in 1997. Ten years later even cognition, with exertion or heat exposure.a study demonstrating improved walking speed One way to potentially prevent or delay nervewas published. More recently there have been ber fatigue is through a class of drugs thatstudies showing that dalfampridine may improve work on potassium channels on demyelinatedfatigue, mood, and cognition. The researchers nerve bers. These are called aminopyridinesat University of Bologna, in Bologna, Italy, and include 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), nameand UOSI Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation brand dalfampridine (Ampyra), and genericCenter of the IRCCS Institute of Neurological dalfampridine. While the latter two are FDA-Sciences of Bologna provide an overview of approved to improve walking speed, in theory,the studies addressing each of these areas this class of drugs could help with any symptomalong with safety ndings. The research on that is brought on by exertion or heat exposure.visual impairment improvements is the most 4-AP is not a FDA-approved, compoundedlimitedandshouldhavefurtherstudy.A drug that has been around for decades. Wemajor challenge with dalfampridine is the never thought of 4-AP as a drug that onlycost compared to other available drugs with helped walking. It is important to remembersimilar outcomes. that these drugs do not change the course ofmsfocusmagazine.org 52'