Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction01:19

Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder and a leading cause of neurological disability in young adults.EpidemiologyMS commonly begins between 20 and 40 years of age and is twice as common in women. Its exact cause remains unclear, but genetic susceptibility contributes, with higher risk in first-degree relatives and identical twins. A greater...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Personalizing N-of-1 Trial Results to Facilitate Decision-Making.

JAMA network open·2026
Same author

Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and outmigration of older Puerto Rican Medicare Fee-for-service beneficiaries, 2012-2019.

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences·2026
Same author

Digital N-of-1 trials and their application in experimental physiology.

Experimental physiology·2026
Same author

Selected Impacts of Urban Heat Islands on Emergency Medical Services Utilization in Rhode Island.

The western journal of emergency medicine·2026
Same author

End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices Model and Use of Home Dialysis and Kidney Transplant.

JAMA health forum·2026
Same author

Untangling Dialysis Received in a Nursing Home from Home Hemodialysis in the Community.

Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

A Protocol for the Use of Remotely-Supervised Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
08:18

A Protocol for the Use of Remotely-Supervised Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Published on: December 26, 2015

Network analysis of randomized controlled trials in multiple sclerosis.

Elias Zintzaras1, Chrysoula Doxani, Theodoros Mprotsis

  • 1Department of Biomathematics, University of Thessaly School of Medicine, 2 Panepistimiou Str., Larissa, Greece. zintza@med.uth.gr

Clinical Therapeutics
|March 27, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This meta-analysis found natalizumab and fingolimod effective for multiple sclerosis (MS) compared to placebo. However, caution is advised due to indirect comparisons, highlighting the need for head-to-head trials in MS treatment.

More Related Videos

Randomized, Triple-Blind, and Parallel-Controlled Trial of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Cognitive Rehabilitation after Stroke
08:53

Randomized, Triple-Blind, and Parallel-Controlled Trial of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Cognitive Rehabilitation after Stroke

Published on: June 6, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 23, 2026

A Protocol for the Use of Remotely-Supervised Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
08:18

A Protocol for the Use of Remotely-Supervised Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Published on: December 26, 2015

Randomized, Triple-Blind, and Parallel-Controlled Trial of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Cognitive Rehabilitation after Stroke
08:53

Randomized, Triple-Blind, and Parallel-Controlled Trial of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Cognitive Rehabilitation after Stroke

Published on: June 6, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Clinical Pharmacology
  • Biostatistics

Background:

  • The optimal treatment strategy for multiple sclerosis (MS) remains undefined.
  • Relapsing MS requires effective therapeutic interventions to manage disease activity and progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to estimate the relative effectiveness of various treatments for relapsing MS.
  • To compare treatments based on three key efficacy outcomes: relapse-free status, absence of disease progression, and lack of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) progression.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search of PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for RCTs on pharmaceutical treatments for MS.
  • Inclusion of RCTs with definite relapsing MS patients providing data for odds ratio calculation.
  • Direct meta-analysis comparing treatments to placebo, followed by network analysis comparing each therapy to interferon beta-1b (250 μg).

Main Results:

  • Analysis included 109 articles with 26,828 patients, evaluating 145 treatments.
  • Direct comparison showed natalizumab (300 mg) and fingolimod (0.5 mg) were more effective than placebo for all three efficacy outcomes.
  • Network analysis indicated no treatment superior to interferon beta-1b (250 μg) for all outcomes; alemtuzumab (12 and 24 mg) showed superiority for two outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • While some treatments demonstrate superior efficacy, findings require cautious interpretation due to the network's reliance on indirect comparisons.
  • Results from this network meta-analysis should not be extrapolated beyond the included studies.
  • Large-scale, head-to-head randomized controlled trials are essential for establishing definitive conclusions on optimal MS treatment.