Aim

At Cochrane Multiple Sclerosis, our mission is to enhance the quality of life for individuals affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) and related rare central nervous system (CNS) disorders. We achieve this by producing high-quality evidence on various aspects of these diseases, such as prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care, following an Evidence Based Medicine approach.

Our reviews can therefore provide healthcare professionals, patients, and policymakers with the best available evidence to make informed decisions.

By prioritizing the following key areas, we aim to provide comprehensive, up-to-date reviews that support better health outcomes and a higher quality of life for those living with these challenging conditions. 

Multiple Sclerosis

We focus on intervention designs that aim to:

  • Improve Recovery from Acute Exacerbations: Identifying strategies and treatments that facilitate quicker and more effective recovery from sudden flare-ups of MS symptoms.
  • Decrease the Number or Severity of Exacerbations: Evaluating interventions that reduce the frequency and intensity of MS attacks, thereby helping patients maintain better health and functionality.
  • Prevent or Delay the Onset of the Progressive Phase: Researching ways to halt or slow down the transition from relapsing-remitting MS to secondary progressive MS, which is often more disabling.
  • Prevent or Delay Progression: Investigating treatments that can stop or slow the overall progression of MS, helping patients maintain their independence and quality of life.
  • Improve Symptoms: Focusing on interventions that alleviate common MS symptoms such as pain, visual dysfunction, spasticity, weakness, fatigue, imbalance, tremor, sphincter dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, and psychological and cognitive impairments.
  • Rehabilitation Care: Assessing rehabilitation strategies that support patients in regaining and maintaining their physical abilities and mental well-being.
  • Palliative Care: Providing evidence on the best practices for palliative care to ensure that patients with advanced MS receive compassionate and effective symptom management.
  • Improve Quality of Care: Enhancing the overall quality of healthcare services provided to MS patients through evidence-based recommendations.
  • Organisation of Services: Evaluating and recommending optimal ways to organize and deliver healthcare services to meet the needs of MS patients efficiently and effectively.

Rare Diseases of the Central Nervous System

In addition to MS, we prioritize covering interventions related to rare CNS disorders, which include:

  • Inflammatory Disorders: Investigating treatments for rare CNS inflammatory conditions to provide relief and improve patient outcomes.
  • Hereditary Disorders: Offering insights into the management of genetic CNS disorders to support affected individuals and their families.
  • Infectious Disorders: Exploring effective interventions for rare CNS infections to mitigate their impact on patients.
  • Mitochondrial Disorders: Evaluating therapies for mitochondrial diseases that affect the CNS, aiming to improve patients' quality of life.
  • Vasculitis Disorders: Providing evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of CNS vasculitis to ensure patients receive appropriate care.
  • Other Disorders: Addressing a range of other rare CNS conditions to fill gaps in knowledge and treatment.