Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).In MS, the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibres and causes communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body. Eventually, the disease can cause permanent damage or deterioration of the nerves.

Signs and symptoms:

MS vary widely and depend on the amount of nerve damage and which nerves are affected. Some people with severe MS may lose the ability to walk independently or at all, while others may experience long periods of remission without any new symptoms. There's no cure for multiple sclerosis. However, treatments can help speed recovery from attacks, modify the course of the disease and manage symptoms. Multiple sclerosis signs and symptoms may differ greatly from person to person and over the course of the disease depending on the location of affected nerve fibres.

Numbness or weakness in one or more limbs that typically occurs on one side of your body at a time, or your legs and trunk

Electric-shock sensations that occur with certain neck movements, especially bending the neck forward

Tremor, lack of coordination or unsteady gait

Risk factors include:

Age: Most people receive a diagnosis between the ages of 20 and 40 years.

Sex: Most forms of MS are twice as likely to affect women as men.

Genetic factors: Susceptibility may pass down in the genes, but scientists believe an environmental trigger is also necessary for MS to develop, even in people with specific genetic features.

Smoking: People who smoke appear to be more likely to develop MS. They also tend to have more lesions and brain shrinkage than non-smokers.

Infections: Exposure to viruses, such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) or mononucleosis, may increase Trusted Source a person’s risk of developing MS, but research has not shown a definite link. Other viruses that may play a role include human herpes virus type 6 (HHV6) and mycoplasma pneumonia.

Vitamin D deficiency: MS is more common among people who have less exposure to bright sunlight, which is necessary for the body to create vitamin D. Some experts think that low levels of vitamin D may affect the way the immune system works.

Vitamin B12 deficiency: The body uses vitamin B when it produces myelin. A lack of this vitamin may increase Trusted Source the risk of neurological diseases such as MS.

Previous theories have included exposure to canine distemper, physical trauma, or aspartame, an artificial sweetener, but there is no evidence to support .There is probably no single trigger for MS, but multiple factors may contribute.

Diagnosis:

A doctor will carry out a physical and neurological examination, ask about symptoms, and consider the person’s medical history. No single test can confirm a diagnosis, so a doctor will use several strategies when deciding whether a person meets the criteria for a diagnosis.

These include:

MRI scans of the brain and spinal cord, which may reveal lesions

Spinal fluid analysis, which may identify antibodies that suggest a previous infection or proteins consistent with a diagnosis of MS an evoked potential test, which measures electrical activity in response to stimuli

Other conditions have symptoms that are similar to those of MS, so a doctor may suggest other tests to assess for other possible causes of the person’s symptoms. If the doctor diagnoses MS, they will need to identify what type it is and whether it is active or not. The person may need more tests in the future to check for further changes.

John Kimberly

Managing Editor

American Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics

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