Editorial - Volume 18, Issue 1 - January 2016

The New Year (celebrated at different times around the world and tied to various cultural traditions) is often seen as a time of renewal, but also as a reminder of the passing of time. As middle age torments me, I increasingly embrace this quote from Emily Dickinson: “We turn not older with years, but newer every day.” This is also a moment to reflect on those who left us in the past year. In particular, we mourn the passing of Dr. John F. Kurtzke, arguably one of the most widely known personalities in the MS care community, who attended many of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers' annual meetings. A eulogy and an accompanying personal statement from June Halper, CEO of the CMSC, can be found in this issue.

One common New Year's resolution is to initiate or resume an exercise routine, as evidenced by the (unfortunately transient) spike in gym attendance during the first couple of months of each year. Individuals with MS face multiple barriers to the initiation and continuation of an exercise program; therefore, it is important to determine the most effective exercise modalities. In this issue, the study by Samaei and colleagues suggests that downhill walking exercise on a treadmill may be more effective than uphill walking on a variety of parameters. Ensari and colleagues report that treadmill walking and yoga yield similar acute improvements in mood symptoms, reminding us that the benefits of exercise are not solely physical.

Exercise is also a component of the Free From Falls (FFF) fall-prevention program launched by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in 2011. Hugos and colleagues found short-term positive effects of this program on measures pertaining to mobility and balance, as well as a decrease in reported falls at 6 months, in community-dwelling individuals with MS. Fatigue is another common symptom of MS for which multimodal management programs (including exercise) have been proposed. Mulligan and colleagues give us insight into the perceived benefits of the “Minimise Fatigue, Maximise Life: Creating Balance with Multiple Sclerosis” (MFML) fatigue management program in New Zealand, through the results of a qualitative study. The individuals interviewed reported that they integrated recommendations from the program into their daily life and felt improvements in resilience and family dynamics.

Family members and others often assume the role of “care partners” of people with MS, and are indirectly affected by the consequences of the disease. Leibach and colleagues remind us of the association between mental health status and quality of life in their study involving 81 care partners (mostly family members) of MS patients in Mexico.

Finally, the comprehensive management of MS includes the prescription and monitoring of disease-modifying therapies, whose side effects may compromise treatment adherence. Findings from a phase 4 open-label study, reported by Fox and colleagues, provide additional information on the well-known gastrointestinal side effects of dimethyl fumarate in MS patients.

The IJMSC editorial team joins me in wishing all of you a happy, fulfilling, and productive year.