Multiple Sclerosis
- Diagnosis, Imaging, Screening
- General Information
- Guidelines
- Internet Sites
- Risk Factors
- Risk Reduction
- Treatment - Daily Report
Treatment is updated daily with the most recent articles listed on top.
To view only the last month's articles for the other sub-topics, go to our Monthly Online Newsletters page
If you have any questions regarding our Search Reports, please contact us at info@infomedsearch.com.
Multiple Sclerosis
NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Multiple Sclerosis
"Multiple sclerosis (MS) usually affects woman more than men. The disorder most commonly begins between ages 20 and 40, but can strike at any age. The exact cause is not known, but MS is believed to result from damage to the myelin sheath, the protective material which surrounds nerve cells. It is a progressive disease, meaning the damage gets worse over time. Inflammation destroys the myelin, leaving multiple areas of scar tissue (sclerosis). The inflammation occurs when the body's own immune cells attack the nervous system. The inflammation causes nerve impulses to slow down or become blocked, leading to the symptoms of MS. Repeated episodes, or flare ups, of inflammation can occur along any area of the brain and spinal cord."
Highlighted ArticleThe role of MRI in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. (Adv Neurol. 2006)
"There is no single test that is diagnostic of MS, including MRI. The lesions detected with MRI are pathologically nonspecific. The principles of MS diagnosis are based on showing dissemination of white matter lesions in space and time. … The first important role for MRI in the diagnosis of MS allows for an early diagnosis of MS … The second important role for MRI in the diagnostic work-up of suspected MS patients is to rule out alternative diagnoses obvious on MRI, such as spinal stenosis and most brain tumors. Characteristic lesions that favor MS include Dawson Fingers, ovoid lesions, corpus callosum lesions, and asymptomatic spinal cord lesions. However, other white matter diseases can have similar appearances on MRI. … MRI evidence plays a supportive role in what is ultimately a clinical diagnosis of MS, in the appropriate clinical situation, and always at the exclusion of alternative diagnoses."
CONTINUE YOUR INFOMEDSEARCH RESEARCH with our previous InfoMedLinks. Start with InfoMedLinks 2006.
Multiple Sclerosis
General Information
NEWS:
Dysregulated Epstein-Barr virus infection in the multiple sclerosis brain (The Journal of Experimental Medicine 2007) "… we interpret these findings as evidence that EBV persistence and reactivation in the CNS play an important role in MS immunopathology."
Familial MS May Be More Destructive: Brain scans reveal more damage compared to sporadic cases
Most Cases of "Benign" MS Progress After 20 Years, but Survival Is Longer
MS Now Striking Women Much More Often Than Men "The researchers found that the ratio of women-to-men having the disease increased by about 50 percent each decade. The changes were more pronounced in people diagnosed at earlier ages, according to the researchers."
ARTICLES:
Multiple Sclerosis: The Importance of Early Treatment "Experts now agree that disease-modifying drugs for MS, which include Avonex, Betaseron, Copaxone, Novantrone, and Rebif, offer the best chance of holding the disease at bay when started early."
Multiple Sclerosis: What Have We Learned?
JOURNAL ARTICLES:
A 3-year longitudinal study of cognitive impairment in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis: Speed matters. (J Neurol Sci. 2007) "CONCLUSION: Overall the results support the contention that information processing speed is the domain most sensitive to the impact of multiple sclerosis on cognitive functioning over time."
Alexithymia in multiple sclerosis: relationship with fatigue and depression (Acta Neurologica Scandinavica 2007) “Conclusions – Alexithymia was associated with increased severity of fatigue and depression.”
An attempt to investigate the presence of Epstein Barr virus in multiple sclerosis and normal control brain tissue. (J Neurol. 2007) "Nevertheless, the limited data obtained did not provide any positive evidence of EBV involvement."
Anti-myelin antibodies predict the clinical outcome after a first episode suggestive of MS (Multiple Sclerosis 2007) "The aim of this study was to test the contribution of anti-myelin antibodies in predicting conversion from clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) to multiple sclerosis (MS) when considering either Poser's or McDonald's diagnostic criteria."
Common infectious agents in multiple sclerosis: a case control study in children. (Mult Scler. 2007) "Environmental factors, in particular infections, have been linked with the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). The association of Epstein-Barr virus infection with childhood onset of MS has been recently recognized. … In general this study supports and emphasizes a complex infectious and immunologic background of MS."
Fatigue in multiple sclerosis: association with disease-related, behavioural and psychosocial factors. (Mult Scler. 2007)
High Prevalence and Fast Rising Incidence of Multiple Sclerosis in Caltanissetta, Sicily, Southern Italy (Neuroepidemiology 2007) " Conclusion: This survey shows the highest prevalence and incidence figures of MS in the Mediterranean area and confirms central Sicily as a very-high-risk area for MS."
High prevalence of restless legs syndrome in multiple sclerosis (European Journal of Neurology 2007) "RLS is a very common finding in MS patients and should be considered amongst the symptomatic RLS forms. RLS is also associated with higher disability."
Human herpes virus 6 and multiple sclerosis: a Finnish twin study (Multiple Sclerosis 2008)
Incidence of Multiple Sclerosis among First Nations People in Alberta, Canada (Neuroepidemiology 2007)
Increased prevalence of varicella zoster virus DNA in cerebrospinal fluid from patients with multiple sclerosis. (J Med Virol. 2007) "Most importantly, the study revealed a high frequency of VZV DNA in the CSF of patients with MS, suggesting a possible role of this virus in the pathogenesis of MS."
Inflammatory demyelination and neurodegeneration in early multiple sclerosis. (J Neurol Sci. 2007)
Longitudinal follow-up of "benign" multiple sclerosis at 20 years (NEUROLOGY 2007)
Long-term prognosis of multiple sclerosis in Australia (Journal of the Neurological Sciences 2007)
Migraine in multiple sclerosis. (Int Rev Neurobiol. 2007)
Mitochondria in multiple sclerosis. (Front Biosci. 2008)
Multiple sclerosis as a painful disease. (Int Rev Neurobiol. 2007)
Multiple Sclerosis: Relapses and Timing of Remissions (European Neurology 2008)
Natural History of Multiple Sclerosis with Childhood Onset (NEJM 2007) "Conclusions Patients with childhood-onset multiple sclerosis take longer to reach states of irreversible disability but do so at a younger age than patients with adult-onset multiple sclerosis."
Neuropsychiatric syndromes associated with multiple sclerosis. (J Neurol. 2007)
Optimizing Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis Patients (Medscape Neurology & Neurosurgery. 2007)
Pain associated with multiple sclerosis: Systematic review and proposed classification. (Pain. 2007) "The point prevalence of pain in patients with MS is nearly 50%, and approximately 75% of patients report having had pain within one month of assessment."
Predictive value of clinical characteristics for `benign' multiple sclerosis (European Journal of Neurology 2007) "Our results suggest that within the first 5 years from onset it is not possible to predict a benign course. Disease course, EDSS score and relapse rate at 5 years are predictors for benign MS at 10 years."
Recovery of vision and pupil responses in optic neuritis and multiple sclerosis (Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics 2007)
Remyelination can be extensive in multiple sclerosis despite a long disease course. (Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol. 2007)
Sexual habits before multiple sclerosis: a National case—control study (Multiple Sclerosis 2008) “This study does not support the hypothesis that MS is a sexually transmitted or acquired disease.”
The Accuracy of Prevalence Rates of Multiple Sclerosis: A Critical Review (Neuroepidemiology 2007) "Some studies have shown that relying on clinical information and MRI interpretation leads to one third of incorrect MS diagnoses. The most important error is failing to distinguish between the clinical and MRI characteristics of MS and of disseminated encephalomyelitis (DEM) in both their acute and relapsing forms. The diagnostic criteria in current usage, including those relating to imaging, do not differentiate between MS and other recurrent inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system. Considering a second demyelinating episode following a clinically isolated symptom or acute DEM, as confirming MS, is another major source of error."
Go to the top