Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

LaTasha Wilson

Nate Jr.

Pathophysiology of MS

• In MS, the body’s own defense system attacks myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers.

• When any myelin sheath or nerve fibers is damaged or destroyed, nerve impulses traveling to and from the brain and spinal cord are interrupted, producing the symptoms.

Signs and Symptoms

• MS has many signs and symptoms.• Some of which can also be found in other diseases.• Some symptoms are:

– Visual Disturbances– Muscle Weakness– Trouble with coordination and balance– Sensations such as numbness, prickling, or “pins and

needles”– Thinking and memory problems– Fatigue– Dizziness and vertigo– Pain– Emotional changes (depression)

Who gets MS??

• MS affects women more than men.• It often begins between the ages of 20 to

40.

Prevention

• Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent MS.

How is it Diagnosed??

Criteria:

• In order to diagnose Multiple Sclerosis;• Physician’s Must:

– Find evidence of damage in at least 2 separate areas in the CNS (Central Nervous System)

– Find evidence that the damage occurred at least one month apart

– And rule out all other possibilities.

How is it diagnosed??Tools:

• There are many ways to diagnose MS.• Some of those ways are:

– MRIs– VEPs (Visual Evoked Potential)– Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis– Blood Tests

About the Tools??

• An MRI is the best technology for detecting the presence of MS plaques of scarring (also called lesions) in different parts of the CNS.

• The diagnosis of MS cannot be made solely on an MRI because there are other diseases that cause lesions like those caused by MS.

• VEPs are recordings of the nervous system’s electrical response to the stimulation of specific sensory pathways because damage to the myelin results in a slowing of response time.

• VEPs are considered the most useful for confirming MS diagnosis.• Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis is when fluid is taken from the spinal column

(lumbar puncture) and analyzed.• Blood tests; there is no definite blood test for MS, but blood tests help

rule out other conditions that cause symptoms similar to those of MS.

Treatments of MS

• MS is treated by many things such as:– Physical Therapy– Muscle Relaxants– Steroids – Psychological counseling

• These treatments are used to maintain functional ability as long as possible.

Prognosis of MS

• It is generally very difficult to predict the course of MS.

• Most people have a normal life expectancy.• A few patients with severe disability may die

prematurely of infectious complications (pneumonia), so the overall expectancy is 95% normal.

Works Cited

• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/multiplesclerosis.html

• http://www.nationalmssociety.org