Episode 454: Managing MS-Related Depression with Dr. Anthony Feinstein
Release Date: 05/11/2026
Episode 477: One Year After CAR T-Cell Therapy with Jan Janisch-Hanzlik
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Jan Janisch-Hanzlik was the first MS patient to receive CAR T-cell therapy as part of a clinical trial. We met Jan last year, in episode 424 of RealTalk MS, when she gave us a first-hand report on how she was responding to this treatment. This week, Jan is back with an update on how she's responding to CAR T-cell therapy one year later. We're just two weeks away from the U.S. midterm elections. We're sharing some resources that will help you get ready to vote. And we'll remind you that MSToronto 2026 begins tomorrow, and you still have time to register for...
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Episode 475: New Tools and Strategies for Managing MS-Related Cognitive Changes with Dr. Elizabeth Gromisch
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Whether it’s walking into a room and blanking on why you’re there, struggling to pull up a word that’s right on the tip of your tongue, or losing track of daily tasks, cognitive fatigue and brain fog can turn simple routines into exhausting hurdles. What makes cognitive changes particularly challenging is their invisibility. They don’t show up on a routine check-in like mobility issues do. Family members might misread them as distraction. Employers might see them as disengagement. And all too often, clinicians don’t have immediate, actionable tools to offer beyond standard advice. ...
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Episode 474: The House That MS Built with Sarah Timmerman
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Most people don’t think about home accessibility until mobility changes force the conversation. But what if you decide to take control of the unknown and design your living space for whatever the future might bring? My guest, Sarah Timmerman, explains how she took total control of her future by designing and building what she calls The House That MS Built—a home engineered from the foundation up to future-proof her independence through smart, universal design and relentless self-advocacy. We'll also tell you about a research team that identified 4 biomarkers that,...
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Episode 473: The National MS Society -- A CEO Briefing with Dr. Tim Coetzee
RealTalk MS
RealTalk MS is celebrating our ninth anniversary, and we’re marking the milestone with a special guest! Dr. Tim Coetzee, President and CEO of the National MS Society, returns to the show for a candid, forward-looking conversation about why today represents one of the most promising moments for advancing MS research and transforming clinical care. We’re taking a hard look at the game-changers on the horizon: what it will take to shorten the diagnostic journey from years down to mere hours, why it’s time to retire outdated disease labels in favor of true precision medicine, and the...
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Episode 472: ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Patient Community Day Preview with Brett Drummond and Dr. Jennifer Graves
RealTalk MS
We are less than 40 days away from MSToronto2026—the joint ECTRIMS/ACTRIMS Scientific Congress. While the congress brings together the world’s leading MS researchers and clinicians, Patient Community Day —in person and online—is designed specifically for people affected by multiple sclerosis. This week, Dr. Jennifer Graves and Brett Drummond join me to preview what to expect from Patient Community Day 2026. With less than 50 days until the midterm elections in the United States, the National MS Society is hosting a webinar you can't afford to miss, titled MS...
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Episode 471: Navigating an MS Relapse with Dr. F. Gabriela Karolidis
RealTalk MS
Relapses make life with MS unpredictable. Understanding what they are, why they happen, and how best to manage them can make a relapse less scary and easier to navigate. This week, Dr. Gabriela Karolidis, a board-certified neurologist and neuroimmunologist at Thomas Jefferson University, joins us for a deep dive into MS relapses. The MS International Federation has just updated the Atlas of MS, showing more than 3 million people living with MS worldwide. We're sharing the details behind the new numbers. We'll also share a study showing how wearable activity trackers add a...
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Episode 470: 42 Marathons in 42 Days with Benji Wilkins
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Wise men and women remind us that life is a marathon, and not a sprint. Joining us this week is Benji Wilkins. Benji is a magician in the U.K., and for 42 days this summer, his life was quite literally a marathon. In the process, Benji raised money to help his mom, who lives with MS, and he raised awareness of MS across the U.K. and around the world. We're also sharing results of a study that focused on gait training using a powered exoskeleton for people living with MS. We'll tell you how you can participate in the MOMENT-MS study and help researchers develop a smartphone app...
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Episode 469: Maintaining and Even Improving Cognitive Function If You're Living with MS with Dr. Anna Kratz
RealTalk MS
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Episode 468: You've Been Given a 15% Chance of Living and Your Spouse Gets Diagnosed with MS with Kathleen Silva
RealTalk MS
Imagine your spouse or significant other has been diagnosed with MS...shortly after you were diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer, and given just a 15% chance of survival. All of a sudden, the roles of patient and care partner are up for grabs -- and they change with almost daily frequency. That's exactly the scenario my guest, Kathleen Silva, faced. Kathleen is joining me to discuss how she and her husband, Rick, survived and thrived amid that frightening chaos. (Spoiler alert -- no one died!) We'll also tell you about an investigational drug that's the first to promise...
info_outlineOne out of every two people with MS will experience clinical depression at some point in their MS journey, making depression one of the most significant yet under-discussed aspects of living with MS. While the physical symptoms of MS often take center stage, the neuropsychiatric challenges can be just as impactful on an individual's overall quality of life and long-term outcomes.
Joining us to shed some light on this important topic is Dr. Anthony Feinstein, a world-renowned neuropsychiatrist and professor at the University of Toronto. Dr. Feinstein has spent decades researching the biological and psychological drivers of depression in MS.
We're also sharing study results revealing that wait times to see a neurologist in the U.S. are way too long.
We'll tell you about a pilot trial that's recruiting participants for an implantable device designed to promote remyelination.
We're just two days away from the National MS Society's webcast on protecting federal funding for MS research, the NIH, CDC, and FDA. We're sharing all the details and info to register.
And we'll tell you all about the MS Society's statement for the record at a congressional hearing, exposing how Pharmacy Benefit Managers often prioritize profits over patient welfare.
We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!
This Week: Managing MS-Related Depression :22
Study results reveal wait times for an appointment with a neurologist in the U.S. 1:45
A pilot clinical trial for an implantable device designed to promote remyelination 4:38
A webcast to update you on the National MS Society's advocacy efforts to protect federal funding for MS research, the NIH, CDC, and FDA 7:05
The National MS Society has submitted a critical statement for the record at a congressional hearing, exposing how Pharmacy Benefit Managers often prioritize profits over patient welfare 8:39
Dr. Anthony Feinstein discusses the latest research and strategies for managing MS-related depression 11:00
Share this episode 29:37
Next week 28:56
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LINKS
If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com
STUDY: Access to High-Efficacy Therapies for Multiple Sclerosis Under Medicaid: Variation in Coverage and Utilization Across States
https://aan.com/msa/Public/Events/AbstractDetails/61520
STUDY RESULTS: Neurology Wait Times After Primary Care or Emergency Department Visits Among the Commercially Insured Population in the United States: 2019-2023
https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000218008
CLINICAL TRIAL: The SetPoint System as a Pro-Remyelination Therapy for Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Study
https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06796504
WEBCAST: Make It Count Now: Mobilizing for Federal Funding in a Changing Policy Landscape
https://nmss.quorum.us/event/33151
READ: The National MS Society Statement for The Record: "Profits Over Patients: The PBM Business Model Under Scrutiny"
https://cdn.sanity.io/files/y936aps5/production/0372d3964cc269a404c17dff8ca919b34d0c6603.pdf
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RealTalk MS Episode 454
Guest: Dr. Anthony Feinstein