How do your donations accelerate research for a cure and improve the lives of people affected by MS?
Your generosity supports ACP’s initiatives to accelerate MS research for quicker diagnosis, more effective treatments, and a cure for all living with the disease.
This month we’re highlighting how your support allows the iConquerMS network to facilitate meaningful research for those with MS. The iConquerMS community has played a part in numerous studies covering a range of subjects, including MRIs in MS.
What did we learn from this research?
Just over half of the people surveyed got an MRI scan yearly.
73% of individuals either requested or received their MRI in electronic form, but 27% never did.
Of those who had looked at their images on their own, 13% fully understood them, 54% somewhat understood, and 33% barely understood or didn’t understand them at all.
Reasons people didn’t look at their images included not knowing how to open them, lacking the needed software, and not understanding what they mean.
Nearly everyone who took the survey (95% or more) was curious about changes in their MRI over time, wanted to ensure their MRI met current guidelines, and were okay with sharing their MRI scans with researchers.
What does it mean?
This study shows that while some people with MS can look at and understand their MRI images on their own, many need extra help and information to do so. People are very interested in seeing how their MRIs change over time and if they are done correctly. Our collaborators at Icometrix are using this feedback to make new tools and apps to help people with MS view their MRIs.
