Digital Symptom Tracking Reveals How Multiple Sclerosis Patients Really

A longitudinal analysis in PLOS Digital Health uses real-world symptom logs from a German multiple sclerosis companion app, Brisa, to map what patients experience between clinic visits. Led by Ann-Sophie Stratil with Tjalf Ziemssen, the study analyzed retrospective data from 4,194 users who met strict criteria: adults at least 18, using a disease-modifying therapy in one of three efficacy categories per German neurological society guidelines, and remaining on the same therapy without switching during the observation window. Users logged symptoms on a one-to-five emoticon scale and completed validated PRO instruments covering fatigue, mobility, cognition, bladder and pain.