May 26, '09: Diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis
Category: Facts about M.S.
Posted by: stuart
At this time, there are no symptoms, physical findings or laboratory tests that can, by themselves, determine if a person has MS. The doctor uses several strategies to determine if a person meets the long-established criteria for a diagnosis of MS and to rule out other possible causes of whatever symptoms the person is experiencing. These strategies include a careful medical history, a neurologic exam and various tests, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), evoked potentials (EP) and spinal fluid analysis.
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=============================================Continue reading this article of knowledge by clicking here
If not yet receiving our weekly MS Related e-newsletter, called "Stu's Views and MS Related News", then please click this link to complete the registration. It will take less than 30 seconds and you will be rewarded with current MS information to your inbox each week.
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March 31, '09: The History Of Multiple Sclerosis
Category: Facts about M.S.
Posted by: stuart
Sourced and Provided by Patrice Schlossman of MS Views and News, Inc.
This journey through the history of MS reveals both successes and failures in research, diagnosis and treatments over the years. It depicts fate and illustrates the firm intention to better understand and conquer this mysterious disease.
Continue reading by clicking here
....................................
=============================================This journey through the history of MS reveals both successes and failures in research, diagnosis and treatments over the years. It depicts fate and illustrates the firm intention to better understand and conquer this mysterious disease.
Continue reading by clicking here
....................................
March 10, '09: Frequency and clinical patterns of multiple sclerosis in Arab countries: a systematic review
Category: Facts about M.S.
Posted by: stuart
summary: In this article the authors investigated clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of people with MS from Arab countries. Though there seemed to be many shared features with people with MS in western countries, there was a high proportion of optic-spinal forms of MS and a low proportion of positive oligoclonal bands, as has been described in Asian countries. Whether these similarities with Asian-type MS are due to similar genetic background or similar environmental characteristics is something that has to be clarified in future studies.
Neurology Department, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, UK.
The susceptibility of various populations to multiple sclerosis (MS) and the clinical patterns of the disease are thought to be different. Nineteen articles related to incidence, prevalence and clinical patterns of MS in Arab populations were identified by keyword searching of Medline and Embase, and review of references in all relevant papers. Data were only available for the Kuwaiti, Jordanian, Libyan, Saudi, Iraqi, Palestinian (including Arabs living in Israel), and Omani populations.
=============================================Neurology Department, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, UK.
The susceptibility of various populations to multiple sclerosis (MS) and the clinical patterns of the disease are thought to be different. Nineteen articles related to incidence, prevalence and clinical patterns of MS in Arab populations were identified by keyword searching of Medline and Embase, and review of references in all relevant papers. Data were only available for the Kuwaiti, Jordanian, Libyan, Saudi, Iraqi, Palestinian (including Arabs living in Israel), and Omani populations.
January 22, '09: Risk factors for multiple sclerosis
Category: Facts about M.S.
Posted by: stuart
guardian.co.uk
Doctors call things that make you more likely to get a disease risk factors. Having a risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS) doesn't mean you'll get the disease. It just means you're more likely to get it than someone who doesn't have the risk factor. These are the main risk factors for MS.
Your family and your genes
You're more likely to get MS if other people in your family have it, especially a brother or sister. If you have a close relative with MS, you have about a 2 in 100 to 3 in 100 chance of getting it yourself.
There isn't any single gene that causes MS. Instead, some people probably get a mix of genes from their parents that increases their risk. This means you may be more likely to get MS if you have these genes. But other things also need to happen for you to get it.
=============================================Doctors call things that make you more likely to get a disease risk factors. Having a risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS) doesn't mean you'll get the disease. It just means you're more likely to get it than someone who doesn't have the risk factor. These are the main risk factors for MS.
Your family and your genes
You're more likely to get MS if other people in your family have it, especially a brother or sister. If you have a close relative with MS, you have about a 2 in 100 to 3 in 100 chance of getting it yourself.
There isn't any single gene that causes MS. Instead, some people probably get a mix of genes from their parents that increases their risk. This means you may be more likely to get MS if you have these genes. But other things also need to happen for you to get it.
January 06, '09: MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Facts
Category: Facts about M.S.
Posted by: stuart
January 2009
Info Provided by: Stuart Schlossman
What Causes MS? - The factors that may be responsible for MS
Who Gets MS? - Why some individuals are more likely than others to develop MS
Symptoms of MS - The symptoms of MS are highly variable, depending on the areas of the central nervous system that have been affected
Diagnosis of MS - Several tests and procedures are needed to diagnose MS
The History of MS - The history of multiple sclerosis is a detective story spanning more than a century
View our: MS GLOSSARY
For more MS Related News stories, Register to receive:Stu's Views and MS Related News
=============================================Info Provided by: Stuart Schlossman
What Causes MS? - The factors that may be responsible for MS
Who Gets MS? - Why some individuals are more likely than others to develop MS
Symptoms of MS - The symptoms of MS are highly variable, depending on the areas of the central nervous system that have been affected
Diagnosis of MS - Several tests and procedures are needed to diagnose MS
The History of MS - The history of multiple sclerosis is a detective story spanning more than a century
View our: MS GLOSSARY
For more MS Related News stories, Register to receive:Stu's Views and MS Related News
December 23, '08: Does MS always cause paralysis?
Category: Facts about M.S.
Posted by: stuart
FAQ's - from the National MS Society
Does MS always cause paralysis?
No. Moreover, the majority of people with MS do not become severely disabled. Two-thirds of people who have MS remain able to walk, though many will need an aid, such as a cane or crutches, and some will use a scooter or wheelchair because of fatigue, weakness, balance problems, or to assist with conserving energy.
=============================================Does MS always cause paralysis?
No. Moreover, the majority of people with MS do not become severely disabled. Two-thirds of people who have MS remain able to walk, though many will need an aid, such as a cane or crutches, and some will use a scooter or wheelchair because of fatigue, weakness, balance problems, or to assist with conserving energy.
November 19, '08: Paroxysmal Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis: They Come and They Go
Category: Facts about M.S.
Posted by: stuart
United Spinal Organization - MS Quarterly Report - November 2008
By: Denise I. Campagnolo MD, MS––Interim Multiple Sclerosis Program Director, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona
MS Attack
A multiple sclerosis (MS) attack, also called a relapse or exacerbation, is the sudden onset of new neurological symptoms or the reoccurrence of previous resolved symptoms. Further, true attacks typically last at minimum 24 hours, usually days to weeks, and generally are agreed to have to occur at least 30 days from a previous attack, so that they are separated in time.
The underlying cause of the MS relapse is inflammation in the nervous system. The inflammatory immune response strips the nerves of their insulation, or myelin, allowing the electrical signals to “short out” as they move about the nervous system.
=============================================By: Denise I. Campagnolo MD, MS––Interim Multiple Sclerosis Program Director, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona
MS Attack
A multiple sclerosis (MS) attack, also called a relapse or exacerbation, is the sudden onset of new neurological symptoms or the reoccurrence of previous resolved symptoms. Further, true attacks typically last at minimum 24 hours, usually days to weeks, and generally are agreed to have to occur at least 30 days from a previous attack, so that they are separated in time.
The underlying cause of the MS relapse is inflammation in the nervous system. The inflammatory immune response strips the nerves of their insulation, or myelin, allowing the electrical signals to “short out” as they move about the nervous system.
September 27, '08: Multiple Sclerosis: Difficulties in Diagnosing MS
Category: Facts about M.S.
Posted by: stuart
Information Provided by Robin-Marie B.
Source: United Spinal Assoc.
Roberto Bomprezzi, MD––Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona
Difficulties in Diagnosing MS
How can a physician know if a patient has multiple sclerosis (MS)? The kind of damage MS does to the nervous system is well known. MS is a progressive disease characterized by lesions in the central nervous system (CNS) in which myelin, the fatty material that insulates nerve fibers, is destroyed. Over time, most people with MS become increasingly disabled because of this damage. Despite this knowledge, however, no single test exists that can definitely identify MS, and making an accurate diagnosis early in the course of the disease can be quite difficult.
=============================================Source: United Spinal Assoc.
Roberto Bomprezzi, MD––Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona
Difficulties in Diagnosing MS
How can a physician know if a patient has multiple sclerosis (MS)? The kind of damage MS does to the nervous system is well known. MS is a progressive disease characterized by lesions in the central nervous system (CNS) in which myelin, the fatty material that insulates nerve fibers, is destroyed. Over time, most people with MS become increasingly disabled because of this damage. Despite this knowledge, however, no single test exists that can definitely identify MS, and making an accurate diagnosis early in the course of the disease can be quite difficult.
August 12, '08: Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms are Variable and Unpredictable
Category: Facts about M.S.
Posted by: stuart
Information provided by: MS Views and Related News.com
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MS Symptoms are Variable and Unpredictable
No two people have exactly the same symptoms, and each person’s symptoms can change or fluctuate over time. One person might experience only one or two of the possible symptoms while another person experiences many more.
Most of these symptoms can be managed very effectively with medication, rehabilitation, and other management strategies.
=============================================
Opt-in to receive our weekly MS Related e-Newsletter
MS Symptoms are Variable and Unpredictable
No two people have exactly the same symptoms, and each person’s symptoms can change or fluctuate over time. One person might experience only one or two of the possible symptoms while another person experiences many more.
Most of these symptoms can be managed very effectively with medication, rehabilitation, and other management strategies.
Category: Facts about M.S.
Posted by: stuart
J Neurol. 2008 Mar;255(3):406-12. Epub 2008 Feb 26
Neuroanatomy of pseudobulbar affect : a quantitative MRI study in multiple sclerosis.
Ghaffar O, Chamelian L, Feinstein A.
Neuropsychiatry Division, Dept. of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, FG08-2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada.
Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is defined as episodes of involuntary crying, laughing, or both in the absence of a matching subjective mood state. This neuropsychiatric syndrome can be found in a number of neurological disorders including multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to identify neuroanatomical correlates of PBA in multiple sclerosis (MS) using a case-control 1.5T MRI study. MS patients with (n = 14) and without (n = 14) PBA were matched on demographic, disease course, and disability variables.
Comorbid psychiatric disorders including depressive and anxiety disorders were absent. Hypo- and hyperintense lesion volumes plus measurements of atrophy were obtained and localized anatomically according to parcellated brain regions.
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Neuroanatomy of pseudobulbar affect : a quantitative MRI study in multiple sclerosis.
Ghaffar O, Chamelian L, Feinstein A.
Neuropsychiatry Division, Dept. of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, FG08-2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada.
Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is defined as episodes of involuntary crying, laughing, or both in the absence of a matching subjective mood state. This neuropsychiatric syndrome can be found in a number of neurological disorders including multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to identify neuroanatomical correlates of PBA in multiple sclerosis (MS) using a case-control 1.5T MRI study. MS patients with (n = 14) and without (n = 14) PBA were matched on demographic, disease course, and disability variables.
Comorbid psychiatric disorders including depressive and anxiety disorders were absent. Hypo- and hyperintense lesion volumes plus measurements of atrophy were obtained and localized anatomically according to parcellated brain regions.
