Recent advances in multiple sclerosis neurorehabilitation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Advances in multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis and treatment have altered disease trajectories, yet many people with MS (pwMS) continue to experience complex symptom burden, functional limitations, and reduced quality of life (QoL). This review summarizes recent developments in neurorehabilitation, focusing on screening and assessment, intervention delivery, and outcome or impact evaluation across symptoms and disability domains. RECENT FINDINGS: Research evidence supports routine, multidimensional screening that goes beyond assessing symptom severity to capture functional limitations, participation restrictions, and social determinants of health (SDoH). Digital technologies, including wearables, remote monitoring, and artificial intelligence-assisted assessments, offer opportunities for more ecologically valid and accessible evaluation, although usability, digital exclusion, and implementation issues remain. Neurorehabilitation is increasingly viewed as a treatment that should begin early in the disease course rather than being reserved for advanced disability. Exercise interventions, cognitive rehabilitation, psychological therapies, vocational rehabilitation, and integrated multidisciplinary approaches demonstrate benefits across physical, cognitive, emotional, fatigue, and QoL outcomes. Telerehabilitation and technology-supported interventions, including virtual reality, exergaming, and neuromodulation, show promise in improving access and outcomes, but more research is needed. To sustain long-term neurorehabilitation benefits, teaching self-management strategies and brain-health behaviours may be beneficial. SUMMARY: Neurorehabilitation is a core component of comprehensive MS care, complementing pharmacological treatment. Evidence favours early, personalized, function-focused interventions delivered through flexible, tiered, and multidisciplinary models. Research gaps include implementation of screening pathways, optimization of person-to-treatment matching and dosing, integration of SDoH, development of meaningful patient-centred outcomes, evaluation of cost-effectiveness, and improved equity of access to rehabilitation services and research across diverse populations.

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Publication Details

Journal
Current Opinion in Neurology
Published
2026-10-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1097/wco.0000000000001529
Primary Topic
Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies
Type
article
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article

Recent advances in multiple sclerosis neurorehabilitation

Giampaolo Brichetto, Helen L Ford, Sarah J. Donkers, Roshan das Nair (8051357)
Current Opinion in Neurology
Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies
article

Recent advances in multiple sclerosis neurorehabilitation

Giampaolo Brichetto, Helen L Ford, Sarah J. Donkers, Roshan das Nair (8051357)
article en

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Advances in multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis and treatment have altered disease trajectories, yet many people with MS (pwMS) continue to experience complex symptom burden, functional limitations, and reduced quality of life (QoL). This review summarizes recent developments in neurorehabilitation, focusing on screening and assessment, intervention delivery, and outcome or impact evaluation across symptoms and disability domains. RECENT FINDINGS: Research evidence supports routine, multidimensional screening that goes beyond assessing symptom severity to capture functional limitations, participation restrictions, and social determinants of health (SDoH). Digital technologies, including wearables, remote monitoring, and artificial intelligence-assisted assessments, offer opportunities for more ecologically valid and accessible evaluation, although usability, digital exclusion, and implementation issues remain. Neurorehabilitation is increasingly viewed as a treatment that should begin early in the disease course rather than being reserved for advanced disability. Exercise interventions, cognitive rehabilitation, psychological therapies, vocational rehabilitation, and integrated multidisciplinary approaches demonstrate benefits across physical, cognitive, emotional, fatigue, and QoL outcomes. Telerehabilitation and technology-supported interventions, including virtual reality, exergaming, and neuromodulation, show promise in improving access and outcomes, but more research is needed. To sustain long-term neurorehabilitation benefits, teaching self-management strategies and brain-health behaviours may be beneficial. SUMMARY: Neurorehabilitation is a core component of comprehensive MS care, complementing pharmacological treatment. Evidence favours early, personalized, function-focused interventions delivered through flexible, tiered, and multidisciplinary models. Research gaps include implementation of screening pathways, optimization of person-to-treatment matching and dosing, integration of SDoH, development of meaningful patient-centred outcomes, evaluation of cost-effectiveness, and improved equity of access to rehabilitation services and research across diverse populations.

Current Opinion in Neurology
University of Leeds (GB), University of Nottingham (GB), SINTEF (NO), Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (GB), University of Saskatchewan (CA), Associazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla (IT), St Olav's University Hospital (NO)
Openalex Percentile: Top 12%
Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies
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