MS Trust conference 2009 report
Way Ahead 2010;14(1):13
'Quality and MS care' was the theme of the MS Trust's 13th Annual Conference which took place at Chesford Grange, Warwickshire. Quality is a term that also applies to the wide range of presentations and seminars that took place over the course of the three day conference.
Plenary sessions
Dr Mark Freedman speaking at the MS Trust conference
Primary progressive MS
Professor Alan Thompson set the tone of the conference in the opening plenary session on primary progressive MS. Thompson dispelled the typical assumption that a primary progressive course of MS equates with an unfluctuating disease course, asserting that it can be just as variable and unpredictable as relapsing forms. Contrary to the 'bleak prognosis' that is often associated with primary progressive, Thompson highlighted research which showed that 25% of people diagnosed with this form of MS are still walking unassisted 25 years after diagnosis.
StayingSmart - online cognition tool
Neuropsychologist Dr Dawn Langdon gave a live demonstration of StayingSmart, an innovative web-based tool for managing cognition problems. You can read more about the recently released video clips which featured in Dawn's presentation on the front page of this issue.
Maintaining employment
Dr Diane Playford gave an insightful presentation on enabling people with MS to maintain their ability to work. Dr Playford pointed to the complex interplay of factors that often conspire to prevent people with MS staying in employment. Yet many of the barriers to maintaining employment can be overcome if, as Dr Playford emphasised, people with MS are supported by appropriate specialist multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation services. She was keen to drive home the message that employers should also have access to the support of vocational rehabilitation services so that they can learn the best way of adapting the role to suit their employee rather than the employee battling to overcome the new challenges the role may present.
Self-management in MS
Self-management is concerned with empowering people to take control of their condition to help maintain their independence and wellbeing for as long as possible. However, there are certain variable factors that can impede an individual's ability to embrace self-management. Dr Wollin stressed the importance of early assessment and appropriate interventions across physical, psychological and social areas of care.
The brain - its more difficult than we think
Mr Henry Marsh, an eminent consultant neurosurgeon at London's Atkinson Morley Hospital, gave an intriguing and powerfully visual presentation on the human brain. His insight into the bewilderingly complex structure of the human brain was altogether awe-inspiring. Marsh proposed that understanding neuroplasticity - the brain's ability to re-wire itself - is key to the future development of rehabilitative strategies in MS.
Seminars
This year's conference programme featured an array of ambitiously interdisciplinary seminars. It would be impossible to capture them all in this short report, but the following are some of the selected highlights:
Botulinum toxin and the bladder
Dr Jalesh Panicker gave a comprehensive overview of the appropriate assessment and management of bladder problems in MS with a particular focus on the practicalities of using botulinum toxin in the treatment of overactive bladder in MS. Dr Panicker, co-author of the recently published UK consensus on the management of bladder in MS, based his presentation on the recommendations outlined in the document and gave insightful answers to questions posed by his audience relating to the practical aspects of applying the recommendations. A summary leaflet based on the guidelines is available from the MS Trust.
Toolkit to support people with MS in employment
Neurorehabilitation occupational therapist Gail Townsend and specialist occupational therapist Sarah Ramsay presented on the development of the MS Workbook, a toolkit developed by people with MS, health professionals and Jobcentre Plus. The MS Workbook is a practical resource that covers topics such as: sickness absence, symptom management in the workplace; worksheets to resolve practical problems in the workplace and tips on how to achieve work-life balance.
Pain: practical solutions and future developments
Dr Francis Luscombe explored pain management in MS, addressing both nociceptive and neuropathic pain. He defined the different types of pain in MS, maintaining that accurate identification of the origin of pain is key to achieving effective management of the symptom. Dr Luscombe discussed the whole spectrum of pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions identifying the most appropriate application for each.
Prizes
This year's poster competition was more difficult to judge than ever given the high quality of all entries. Three posters were selected for presentation and the overall winner was Lauren McIntyre, from the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, with a poster presentation entitled: Filling the evidence gap - establishing confidence in the use of urinanalysis in relapse treatment.
Neurological specialist nurse Lynda Hind received the 'MS Trust Lifetime Achievement Award' in recognition of her immense contribution and dedication to people with MS and the improvement of MS services she has demonstrated in the years she has been in the profession.
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Way Ahead articles are reproduced as published. They are not updated to take account of subsequent developments. Use appropriate caution in acting on the information in any article.
