ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Multiple sclerosis patients in Newfoundland and Labrador have begun enrolling in an observational study of so-called liberation therapy.

The province's Health Department says 10 patients have enrolled in the study, eight of whom will undergo the procedure.

The department says it expects 30 patients will be needed to complete the study.

The provincial government announced in September that it would spend $320,000 to fund the study.

Liberation therapy, developed by Italian doctor Paolo Zamboni, involves widening constricted neck veins to improve blood flow from the brain.

The purpose of the study is to help determine the impact, if any, liberation therapy has on the mental and physical status of patients with multiple sclerosis.

The treatment has not yet undergone clinical trials in Canada, prompting some multiple sclerosis patients to seek it in clinics overseas.