Past Episodes

More than half of all the people living with MS will develop problems with cognition. And while experiencing cognitive dysfunction can be challenging and frustrating, these kinds of changes can also be frightening. Joining me to talk about things you can do to better manage cognitive changes and preserve healthy cognition is neuroscientist and neuropsychologist, Dr. Victoria Leavitt. We're also talking about the encouraging results from a small clinical trial that tested stem cell therapy to t...

About 80% of the people with relapsing-remitting MS will eventually be diagnosed with secondary progressive MS. At that point, their remissions stop and their MS symptoms continue to worsen. And about 15% of the people diagnosed with MS are diagnosed from the beginning with primary progressive MS. So identifying ways to optimally treat progressive MS is a priority. Joining me with updates on progressive MS research, treatment, and rehabilitation are Dr. Kathy Zackowski and Dr. Daniel Ontaneda. ...

Living through a lockdown can be challenging, and it's resilience that helps us get through life's challenges and recover from setbacks. And while resilience may have become a new topic of conversation for the world at large, when you're living with the uncertainty of MS, you come to realize that resilience is one of the most important tools in your self-care toolbox. Joining me to talk about building your resilience is Dr. Meghan Beier. Dr. Beier is a Rehabilitation Neuropsychologist and an As...

We're less than one week away from the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference. This year, the Public Policy Conference is virtual, which means that you have an opportunity to attend and learn how you can advocate for change on important policy issues affecting the MS community. Joining me to talk about the Public Policy Conference and the issues that MS Activists will be discussing with our congressional representatives in the days following the conference is the Executive Vice-Presiden...

It's MS Awareness Week and we're talking with two remarkable women, Sarah Quezada and Tracey Cooper-Harris, who are living their lives out loud, refusing to let MS define them. We're also inviting you to participate in the first-ever RealTalk MS Listener Survey (and be entered into a drawing for a $100 Amazon Gift Card!). We'll share research announced at the recent ACTRIMS Forum that explores whether we may be headed toward Cognitive-Dominant MS. We're also talking about how the National MS ...

When it comes to accessing care and even the disease course itself, MS is not an equal-opportunity disease. We're talking with Dr. Mitzi Joi Williams about the disparities that affect members of minority populations who are living with MS. Dr. Williams is a Board-Certified Neurologist and Multiple Sclerosis Specialist who is passionate about educating and empowering people affected by MS to understand the disease process and the goals of treatment. And Dr. Williams is an expert in understanding...

Welcome to a bonus ACTRIMS Forum 2021 episode of RealTalk MS. ACTRIMS is an acronym that stands for the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis and this year, the ACTRIMS Forum is a virtual meeting, bringing together over 1700 MS research scientists and clinicians to share the latest MS research news and insights. We'll take you inside the proceedings at ACTRIMS and share highlights from some of the most compelling presentations. And I'm sitting down to talk with th...

If you spend more than a minute on social media it can seem like there's more misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines than there is legitimate, fact-based information. And I've heard it said that if you repeat a lie enough, it becomes the truth. So we're doing some major COVID-19 vaccine myth-busting with Dr. Scott Newsome. Dr. Newsome is an Associate Professor of Neurology and Director of Neurosciences Consultation and Infusion Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine. He also serves as the Co-Dire...

A fulfilling sexual relationship with your partner can have a positive impact on your physical and mental health in a variety of ways. But studies suggest that about 80% of the people living with MS are affected by some kind of sexual dysfunction. We're devoting this entire episode of RealTalk MS to talking about sex and MS with my guest, Dr. Linda Mona. Dr. Mona is a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Inclusivity Clinical Consulting Services. She's been recognized by the American Ps...

The National MS Society has updated their COVID-19 vaccine guidance for people living with MS, providing detailed recommendations for timing your disease-modifying therapy with the two COVID-19 vaccines that are approved in the U.S. If you're on a disease-modifying therapy and you've been wondering about your DMT and the COVID-19 vaccines, this episode is for you. My guest this week is Dr. Jaime Imitola, the Director of the Division of Multiple Sclerosis and Translational Neuroimmunology at UCo...