Setting the agenda for multiple sclerosis rehabilitation research.

BACKGROUND: Recognizing the need for more evidence-based multiple sclerosis (MS) rehabilitation, in the mid-2000s several initiatives were undertaken to explore why there had been a paucity of such research and to determine strategies to reverse this pattern. EXPERT-OPINION-PAPER: In 2004 the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) convened an expert opinion panel, reviewed evidence-based MS rehabilitation research, and published the paper on the web. It was concluded that much of the MS rehabilitation carried out was based on experience, with little research backing it up. INCREASING THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF MS REHABILITATION RESEARCH: Largely as a result of the conclusions of the Expert-Opinion-Paper, the NMSS convened a conference of a large number of MS and rehabilitation experts in New York in May, 2005. This conference made many recommendations of ways to increase the quantity and quality of MS research. STATE OF THE SCIENCE CONFERENCE: In September, 2006, a follow-up conference was held in Washington, D.C... This conference, primarily sponsored by the University of Washington Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (MS RRTC), focused on some of the under-studied "hidden" disabilities present in persons with MS. This paper discusses the details and recommendations of these latter two conferences.