Editorial - Volume 22, Issue 1 - January 2020

The year 2020 has been designated as the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife” by the World Health Organization, in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale. Although midwives are only occasionally involved in the care of individuals with MS, the essential role of nursing professionals in the comprehensive management of the disease cannot be overemphasized. Indeed, nurses are often at the forefront, ensuring optimal continuity and coordination of care and providing ongoing communication with the patients and their families, and with other health care professionals. While we have been publishing articles specifically dedicated to nursing research and nursing practice in IJMSC, I do hope to see more submissions from our nurse colleagues in 2020.

The article selected for continuing education credits in this issue focuses on an alternative treatment used and contemplated by some people with MS: helminth immunotherapy. Along with increasingly potent disease-modifying therapies targeting the immune system, other less conventional treatment avenues are being proposed, and are often the source of heated discussions on public online forums. Our patients expect us to educate them about all options available, yet the evidence regarding alternative treatments is often limited or conflicting. Donkers and colleagues give us insight into patients' thoughts about helminth immunotherapy, which is an important first step in fostering better conversations and educational opportunities.

Outcome measurement is an increasingly common discussion topic in clinical practice nowadays. Two articles in this issue reflect ongoing work on the validity and clinical relevance of outcome scales in MS, whether they are clinician-administered such as the Expanded Disability Status Scale (Alonso and colleagues) or self-administered such as the Multiple Sclerosis Self-Management Scale–Revised (Saadat and colleagues).

I often explain to health care professionals in training that a diagnosis of MS does not describe the impact of the disease on a person's daily activities. The study by Goverover and colleagues reminds us of the pervasive decrease in activity participation experienced by patients with MS and of the association between neurologic deficits (such as motor and cognitive impairment) and comorbidities (such as depression) and these limitations. Fortunately, we also know that physical activity and exercise can help fight the consequences of MS, as illustrated by the articles from Canning and Hicks and from Kasser and colleagues. Another common consequence of MS is chronic pain. The results from the randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy reported by Gromisch and colleagues suggest that this therapy could be a useful intervention, at a time when nonpharmacologic interventions for chronic pain management are increasingly sought after.

I am delighted to announce that Dr. Alissa Willis, Chair of the Department of Neurology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, has joined our editorial team as Associate Editor starting January 2020 after having served as a board member for many years. Our entire team wishes you a happy and fulfilling year.