Gregory T. Carter, MD, MS, Consulting Editor

In our field of physiatry, a sentence containing the words “multiple sclerosis” and “rehabilitation” will likely also include the name “Dr George Kraft.” George has received just about every major award there is in the field of multiple sclerosis research, including the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. I suspect there will be many future awards for Dr Johnson as she continues to build on the foundation built by Dr Kraft.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, multiple sclerosis (or MS) is fairly common, yet it is still shocking to me how disabling this disease may be as it attacks the central nervous system, whether relentlessly or sporadically. New pharmacological treatments have helped considerably, but still it is rehabilitation modalities that translate disease modification from a drug into actual improvement in functionality . This issue of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America provides you with all the information a practicing physiatrist will need to provide the optimal care for a patient battling MS.

The first article, “Gait Impairment and Optimizing Mobility in Multiple Sclerosis,” is authored by Dr Kraft along with senior MS physical therapists, Victoria Stevens, Kelli Goodman, and Katherine Rough. In this article, you will find detailed information on how to maximize ambulatory skills in someone with MS.

Drs Christina Hughes and Ileana Howard provide us with an article entitled, “Spasticity Management in Multiple Sclerosis.” Frankly, this is one of the best, most concise treatises on this topic I have ever read. This level of excellence is followed by another concise and very clinically useful discourse on “Exercise in Multiple Sclerosis,” authored by Dr Alexius E.G. Sandoval, a noted MS expert and former MS fellow trained by Dr Kraft.

Lynda Hillman, DNP, does a wonderful job of reviewing all of the important aspects of “Caregiving in Multiple Sclerosis,” going over perhaps one of the most important topics in terms of maintaining quality of life for these patients.

Again, a group of senior MS therapists, Ann Buzaid, Mary Pat Dodge, Lynne Handmacher, and Pamela J. Kiltz, gives us an excellent article on “Activities of Daily Living: Evaluation and Treatment in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis.” This is remarkably thorough and has directly usable information.

My friend and noted expert on movement disorders, Dr Ali Samii, joins colleagues, Patricia K. Oakes, Sindhu R. Srivatsal, and Marie Y. Davis, to provide a thorough, up-to-date article on “Movement Disorders in Multiple Sclerosis.” Following this, Dr Kraft and colleagues, Karon F. Cook, Alyssa M. Bamer, Toni S. Roddey, Jiseon Kim, and my friend, Dagmar Amtmann, review and update a hugely important topic, “Multiple Sclerosis and Fatigue: Understanding the Patient’s Needs.” Fatigue is one of the most common complaints in this patient population.

Mary Pepping, Julie Brunings, and Myron Goldberg give us an excellent update on “Cognition, Cognitive Dysfunction, and Cognitive Rehabilitation in Multiple Sclerosis.” In this article, I most liked the specific management recommendations, as this is an area I always find particularly challenging.

Urologist Dr Claire C. Yang updates us on “Bladder Management in Multiple Sclerosis.” Claire has tremendous expertise in managing complex rehabilitation patients with mixed functioning bladders.

Visual disturbances are often the presenting complaint in MS and Dr Courtney E. Francis provides us with a pertinent and directly useful piece on “Visual Issues in Multiple Sclerosis.”

My close friend and research partner, Dr Mark Jensen, along with colleagues, Kevin N. Alschuler and Dawn M. Ehde, provide an outstanding discourse on “Co-Occurring Depression and Pain in Multiple Sclerosis.” Dr Jensen and his group at the University of Washington are doing the absolute best work in this area and the value of their contributions to studying pain in the chronically disabled patient populations cannot be overstated.

No one understands “Evoked Potentials in Multiple Sclerosis” better than our editor here, Dr George H. Kraft. There is simply no one else who could have written this better—enough said.

Finally, we have a fantastic closing article, “Future Directions of Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation Research,” written by a much-esteemed group, including many friends and colleagues. The group is led by Dr Kraft, along with Kurt L. Johnson, PhD, Dagmar Amtmann, PhD, Alyssa Bamer, MPH, Charles H. Bombardier, PhD, Dawn Ehde, PhD, Robert Fraser, PhD, Aimee M. Verrall, MPH, and Kathryn Yorkston, PhD. That is a powerful group of authors!

I would like to personally thank all of the authors who contributed to this issue and the countless hours they spent preparing these articles. Thanks to their efforts and perseverance, we are provided with a fantastic addition to the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America . Reading this issue is truly like reading the script for a prestigious MS fellowship!