Seeking to enhance MS care

MS PATHS stands for Multiple Sclerosis Partners Advancing Technology and Health Solutions. MS PATHS uses advances in technology to generate and collect standardized patient data during routine office visits. Information gathered from patients at participating MS centers will enable research that could potentially lead to new discoveries in MS. 

Our Motivation

Our Approach

Our Responsibility

Vision

The MS PATHS vision is to form a technology-enabled network of MS centers through which researchers have access to patient data generated from a broad MS population. Using these data, we hope to gain powerful insights and continuously learn more about MS. Ultimately, MS PATHS aims to better quantify the value of treatment and improve patient outcomes in MS.

Better understanding MS

Patient information currently exists in diverse forms (such as lab tests or MRIs) and may be collected in different ways by different MS centers. With such variations, it is difficult to meaningfully compare information from across the MS population and to identify underlying trends.

To help address these variations, components of MS PATHS are integrated into routine office visits at participating MS centers. Relevant patient data are generated and collected for research in an efficient and standardized way.

With the aid of new technology, MS PATHS aims to overcome the challenges of accurately and consistently monitoring subtle changes in various aspects of MS over time, providing a more holistic view of MS.

MRI protocols and sequencing are standardized within and among partici-pating MS centers This standardization can enable longitudinal comparisons and data sharing across these centers and facilitate research that could lead to the development of quantitative MRI measures of MS disease severity and activity.

As part of routine care, patients use a tablet-based device designed to objectively quantify the major motor, visual, and cognitive symptoms and quality of life outcomes associated with MS.

Aggregated information can be used for research that could potentially lead to new discoveries in MS.

Patients may be asked to contribute in other ways, such as providing blood samples for the Biobanking substudy.

Patient Privacy

MS PATHS takes patient privacy seriously. Only encoded aggregated data are shared with researchers participating in MS PATHS. This means steps have been taken to secure the data and protect patients’ identities. Data include information such as arm and hand function, vision, walking speed, and MRI.

About Us

MS PATHS is sponsored by Biogen, a leading biotechnology company focused on developing therapies for neurodegenerative and autoimmune disorders.

Participating MS centers

MS PATHS brings together MS centers with a shared commitment to enhancing care for MS patients.

Univerity hospital Carl Gustav Carus logo
Cleveland Clinic logo
Cleveland Clinic Lou-Ruvo logo Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health
Johns Hopkins medicine logo
Ohio Health logo
Universitätsklinikum Münster logo
Univerity of Rochester logo
Washington Univerity Text Logo

Carl Gustav Carus

For more information about MS PATHS at University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, please contact Dr. Anja Dillenseger, +49-351-458-5661 or Anja.Dillenseger@uniklinikum-dresden.de .

Cemcat

For more information about MS PATHS at CEMCAT, please contact Oriol Nualart, Data manager, +34 93 175 15 55 or onualart@cem-cat.org.

Cleveland Clinic

For more information about MS PATHS at Cleveland Clinic, please contact Emmy Drenkhan, Clinical Project Manager, at (216) 445-3671 or drenkhe@ccf.org.

Cleveland Clinic - Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health

For more information about MS PATHS at Cleveland Clinic - Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, please contact Laurinda Keelen, CCRC, Clinical Research Coordinator, at (702)701-7941 or Keelenl@ccf.org .

Johns Hopkins Medicine

For more information about MS PATHS at Johns Hopkins Medicine, please contact Berna Aravidis, Clinical Research Coordinator, at (410) 502-6867 or baravid1@jhmi.edu.

OhioHealth

For more information about MS PATHS at OhioHealth, please contact Megan Heckathorn, Clinical Research Coordinator, at (614) 788-3879 or megan.heckathorn@ohiohealth.com.

Universitätsklinikum Münster

For more information about MS PATHS at Universitätsklinikum Münster, please contact Catharina Korsukewitz, at + 49 251 83-4 68 11 or catharina.korsukewitz@ukmuenster.de.

University of Rochester

For more information about MS PATHS at University of Rochester, please contact Jean Sauvain, CCRC, Clinical Research Coordinator at, (585)273-3688 or Jean_sauvain@urmc.rochester.edu.

Washington University in St. Louis

For more information about MS PATHS at Washington University in St. Louis, please contact Dana Perantie, CCRC, Clinical Research Coordinator, at dperantie@wustl.edu.

Sharing Insights

Researchers participating in MS PATHS will have access to data generated electronically and collected through MS PATHS that can enable research and continuous learning. The goal is to share insights with the broader MS community as more is learned about MS.

We hope to create

• Reliable, objective, and standardized outcome measures

• Information to support MS treatment decision making and monitoring

• Evidence to one day support individualized decision making at the point of care

Scientific Output from MS PATHS

As of November 2021, researchers from MS PATHS have generated over 100 conference presentations and more than 15 manuscripts.

NETWORK-WIDE MANUSCRIPTS

Cohen et al. Immunoglobulin G immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in people living with multiple sclerosis within Multiple Sclerosis Partners Advancing Technology and Health Solutions. Mult Scler. 2022 Jan. Online ahead of print. 
View here

Galioto R, et al. Is Obesity Related to Processing Speed Impairment in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: Results of a Large-Scale, Multicenter Study. Arch Clin Neuropsychol. 2020 Jul 24;35(5):506-510.​
View here

Galioto R, et al. Does obesity exacerbate brain lesion volume and atrophy in patients with multiple sclerosis? Mult Scler Relat Disord 2020 Nov;46:102502
View here

Mowry E et al. Harnessing Real-world Data to Inform Decision-making: Multiple Sclerosis Partners Advancing Technology and Health Solutions (MS PATHS) Front Neurol 2020.
View here

Rao SM et al Processing speed test: Validation of a self-administered, iPad©-based tool for screening cognitive dysfunction in a clinic setting. MSJ 2017.
View here

Rao SM et al Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test: Validation of Self-Administered Neuroperformance Modules. Eur J Neurol 2020.
View here

Rhodes JK et al Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test: Technical Development and Usability. Adv Ther 2019.
View here

Shirani A et al on behalf of the Multiple Sclerosis Partners Advancing Technology and Health Solutions Investigators. The association between handedness and clinicodemographic characteristics in people with multiple sclerosis: a brief report. Mult Scler J Exp Trans Clin 2019.
View here

Wang J et al Socioeconomic status and race are correlated with affective symptoms in multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders 2020.
View here

SITE-SPECIFIC MANUSCRIPTS

Fitzgerald K et al Validation of the SymptoMScreen with performance-based or clinician-assessed outcomes. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. 2019
View here

Macaron G et al Cognitive processing speed in multiple sclerosis clinical practice: association with patient- reported outcomes, employment, and MRI metrics. Eur J Neurology 2020.
View here

Macaron G et al Technology-enabled assessments to enhance multiple sclerosis clinical care and research. Neurology Clinical Practice 2019.
View here

Moss B, et al. Multiple sclerosis management during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mult Scler. 2020 Sep;26(10):1163-1171.
View here