Adult MS
Research is a central part of our mission and we are dedicated to advancing the understanding and treatment of adult and pediatric MS.
Please contact 646-501-7511 or NYUMSresearch@nyumc.org if you are interested in participating.
Please contact 646-501-7511 or NYUMSresearch@nyumc.org if you are interested in participating.
Topics of Focus
Treating MS
- Clinical trials currently being conducted at the MS center are actively enrolling adult participants. Participation may involve testing new treatments, collection of samples or observational studies. Participation is open to MS patients as well as controls.
Understanding and Managing Cognitive Problems
- We are studying ways to measure how MS may affect aspects of cognitive functioning, such as memory, focus and attention span. We are studying new and advanced measures of cognitive involvement, and how it relates to different features of MS. Utilizing MRIs, we can better understand how the MS disease process causes cognitive impairment. In addition, we are investigating treatments such as computerized cognitive training as a promising treatment option to help in addressing the cognitive problems seen in MS. Studies have shown that cognitive training is safe and may work to restore cognitive and functional abilities.
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)
- Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, or tDCS, is a form of neurostimulation where very low levels of electrical current are delivered through a headset to stimulate targeted brain areas. Due to the mildness of the current, tDCS is very safe and well-tolerated, while still offering the opportunity for neuromodulatory benefits. Hundreds of studies have shown tDCS to be helpful in treating symptoms such as depression, pain, fatigue, cognitive impairment and motor problems. We are studying ways that this treatment can be most effectively used to help those with living with MS and other neurological disorders.
Opportunities for Healthy Controls
- Comparable information on cognitive functioning in healthy children and adults helps researchers to draw valuable conclusions about disease progression and cognitive decline in MS. Healthy volunteers are needed as controls for cognitive testing, which include verbal and pen/paper tests that provide comparison for information collected in MS study participants.