Research Projects & Publications

MASTER-2: An Observational Study Evaluating Cladribine

The MASTER-2 trial is an observational study to evaluate the effectiveness and patient-reported outcomes in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis who are transitioning from ocrelizumab to cladribine. 

VERISMO: An Observational Study of MS Patients

Ocrelizumab has been shown to be an effective treatment option for patients with MS, but the FDA has requested that a study be undertaken to determine the long-term health effects of ocrelizumab.This 10-year-long study will observe 4,000 patients in the US and Germany who have newly started ocrelizumab or another MS disease modifying therapy. The research team is following up with nearly 100 participants from MGH through electronic medical records for a 5 year period.

EvolutionRMS: A Phase III Randomized Controlled Study of Evobrutinib to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety

The EvolutionRMS study looked at a medication called evobrutinib for people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) with relapses. This investigational medication was compared to teriflunomide, a medication that is already being used to treat RMS, during a 2-year-long study.

MAMBO: Treating Post-Stroke Disability in Tanzania with Fluoxetine

In the MAMBO (Kiswahili for “Hello”) clinical trial, we tested the safety and tolerability of fluoxetine for post-stroke motor recovery in Tanzania. We also investigated post-stroke dementia in Tanzanian patients. Funded by the National Institutes of Health. The results of the project were reported in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Download Project Resources in Swahili:

• Enrollment Survey
• PHQ-9 Survey
• Modified Rankin Scale
• Montreal Cognitive Assessment
• Asberg Depression Scale
• NIH Stroke Scale

Electronic Pill Bottle Monitoring to Promote Medication Adherence in Multiple Sclerosis

Keeping track of whether you've taken your medications can be difficult, but in diseases like Multiple Sclerosis (MS) taking a medication regularly can have a great impact on the course of the disease. We are undertaking a study to determine if electronic pill bottles can help patients with MS remember to take their oral disease modifying therapies more regularly. Enrollment for this study is now complete. Please contact Dylan Rice (drice2@mgh.harvard.edu or 617-643-2947) if you are interested in hearing more about this project.

• Study details at ClinicalTrials.gov

Smartphone EEG in Bhutan and Guinea

The group is conducting a clinical study to test the feasibility of using a smartphone-based electroencephalograph (EEG) system to diagnose patients with epilepsy in Bhutan, a small, land-locked country between China and India, and Guinea, a country on the Atlantic coast of Africa bordered by Mali and Sierra Leone. Funded by the Charles Hood Foundation, the Harvard University Asia Center and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Resources for the Smartphone EEG project:

• Guinea Epilepsy Survey
• Erica McKenzie's interview with the Living Well with Epilepsy Blog
• NIH RePORTER
• Published results
• BrainCapture Smartphone EEG website

Light Therapy for Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis

Fatigue is the most commonly reported symptom among people living with MS, and more than a quarter report fatigue as their most disabling symptom. We are conducting a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to determine whether light therapy can be used as a treatment for MS-related fatigue

Resources for the multiple sclerosis light therapy study:

• ClinicalTrials.gov listing
• Mass General listing
• Download flyer

A Global Atlas of NMO Diagnosis and Treatment Practices

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a demyelinating disease of the optica nerve and spinal cord. Despite recent advances in the treatment and diagnosis of NMO, little is known about the global availability of diagnostic tests and medications for the disease. We surveyed physicians from over 120 different countries on the availability, affordability, and accessibility of a variety of clinical options to diagnose and treat neuromyelitis optica (NMO).

This study was sponsored by ZoomRX and the Sumaira Foundation.

Platelet Signatures in Multiple Sclerosis

Platelet Signatures in Multiple Sclerosis When faced with clinical symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurodegenerative condition, patients and physicians can be uncertain of how to proceed. There are multiple diseases that mimic the symptoms of MS; some of them require special treatment and care.

A blood test for MS could allow physicians to more confidently direct the care of their patients; unfortunately, no such blood test currently exists. But there is evidence that platelet RNA signatures may change in MS patients. We are analyzing the blood of MS patients, healthy patients, and patients with MS- mimicking diseases to determine whether there is a platelet-based RNA signature that can help confirm diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.