We are pleased to announce that from August 2011, the Cochrane Monitoring and Registration Committee has approved our request to change our Group's name from Multiple Sclerosis Group to

Multiple Sclerosis and Rare Diseases of the Central Nervous System Group

Our website is to be modified to include in our scope rare neurological diseases, which are not presently covered by other Cochrane Review Groups, such as autoimmune and infectious diseases, neurological complications of toxic/metabolic disorders, some hereditary disorders and ataxias.

The Cochrane Multiple Sclerosis Review Group is part of the Cochrane Collaboration, an international, non-profit organisation made up of more than 27,000 contributors around the world whose aim is to help others make well-informed decisions about health issues affecting them and their families. This is primarily achieved by the preparation, maintenance and dissemination of systematic reviews of the scientific literature regarding the effects of health care interventions.

The work is currently done by 52 Collaborative Review Groups; these prepare and update Cochrane Reviews.

The members of these groups have come together because they share an interest in generating authoritative, reliable, up-to-date evidence-based reviews regarding the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of particular diseases or groups of diseases.

Each Collaborative Review Group specialises in a partular area of health care. The Multiple Sclerosis Group coordinates the preparation and production of systematic reviews that aim to cover all aspects of the prevention and treatment of multiples sclerosis and the rehabilitation and palliative care of persons with the disease and other demyelinating inflammatory conditions of the central nervous system.

Since its inauguration the Cochrane Multiple Sclerosis Group has been based at the Carlo Besta Neurological Institute (Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta), Milan, Italy.