“As of 2012, approximately 400,000 people in the United States have been diagnosed with MS, with 10,000 new cases being diagnosed each year. Worldwide, MS affects between 1.5 and 2.5 million people.” (Davidson, Fallon, Slomski & Cataldo, 2013, p. 2228). With statistics like this many people have encountered individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The purpose of this report is to describe in detail this disease and how MRI is the modality of choice to diagnose. The Disease MS is an autoimmune disease. This means that the body’s immune system attacks normal tissue. Immune cells attack and obliterate the myelin sheath that surrounds neurons found in the brain and spinal cord. Myelin is an important component of neurons because it acts as an insulator. Myelin sheaths help electric signals travel efficiently from the brain to areas of the body, and “speeds transmission and prevents electrical activity in one cell from short-circuiting to another cell” (Davidson et al., 2013, p. 2228). MS attacks these myelin sheaths and disrupts the efficiency of that signal. It can be compared to a radio transmission. When myelin is working properly, one can hear a clear broadcast. However, when myelin is attacked and destroyed the transmission is no longer clear. It is jarbbled, hence, it alters and disrupts the message. When myelin is destroyed it turns into scar tissue called a plaque. This plaque will appear as “small round areas of gray neurons without the white myelin covering” (Davidson et al., 2013, p. 2228). Causes There is no known reason to explain why the body starts attacking its own myelin sheaths. Though there has been much research, researchers have not been able to pinpoint a trigger. However, through this resear... ... middle of paper ... ...em, because cortical bone does not produce a signal in MRI. This area is often obscured on CT because of the beam hardening artifact. The use of gadolinium better differentiates and increases sensitivity in detecting lesions. Diffusion-weighted imaging also gives MRI the ability to determine the age of lesions or differentiate acute from chronic ischemic changes (Pierce & Dubose, 2012). In conclusion, MS is a disease affecting many individuals. It can shorten the individual’s lifespan, but many treatment options are available to help cope with the symptoms. MRI is an evolving modality as it was just introduced in the 1990s and many advances have been made in the past couple of years. MRI is more sensitive than CT in detecting changes in the white matter of the brain. That is why MRI is the modality of choice to help diagnose a case of Multiple Sclerosis.
MS causes a degeneration of the myelin around axons due to the killing off of oligodendrocytes, which are cells that make up the myelin sheath of an axon; losing myelin decreases the neuron’s ability to propagate an action potential. Since this disease affects the central nervous system, MS can cause dysfunction of both the sensory and the motor aspects of the body. Some common sensory complaints(Lundy-Ekman, 2007) of MS are tingling, numbness, and/or paresthesia in the affected area, which is variable but typically involves one or more limbs (Palace, 2001), as well as partial blindness in one eye, a decrease in vision acuity, and double vision. Lhermitte’s sign, which is a radiating shock that travels down the back or limbs, is another common characteristic of MS that aff...
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is generally thought to be an autoimmune disease that attacks the myelin sheaths, or oligodendrocytes that cover nerve axons in the central nervous system (PubMed Health 2013). This immune response causes inflammation, which triggers immune cells to destroy axons “along any area of the brain, optic nerve, and spinal cord” (PubMed Health 2013). When the myelin sheath “is damaged, nerve signals slow down or stop” thus hindering the propagation of action potentials and limiting function (PubMed Health 2013).
Multiple sclerosis - is an autoimmune disorder that affects the central nervous system including the spinal cord and brain.
Just like lupus, Multiple sclerosis is a chronic immune system disease that affects the central nervous system. The cause of this condition is unknown; however, some of the causes are violent trauma to the head or spinal cord, and or an immune system attack, which causes the body to attack the myelin sheaths around the neurons in the ascending and descending pathways and most of all genetic and environmental factors. Rosner (2008) notes that, multiple sclerosis is the common cause ...
According to National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. The central nervous system (CNS) comprises of the brain and the spinal cord. CNS is coated and protected by myelin sheath that is made of fatty tissues (Slomski, 2005). The inflammation and damage of the myelin sheath causing it to form a scar (sclerosis). This results in a number of physical and mental symptoms, including weakness, loss of coordination, and loss of speech and vision. The way the disease affect people is always different; some people experience only a single attack and recover quickly, while others condition degenerate over time (Wexler, 2013). Hence, the diagnosis of MS is mostly done by eliminating the symptoms of other diseases. Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects both men and women, but generally, it is more common in women more than men. The disease is most usually diagnosed between ages 20 and 40, however, it can occur at any age. Someone with a family history of the disease is more likely to suffer from it. Although MS is not
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a complicated chronic deteriorating disease that has an effect on the central nervous system (CNS). This disease causes destruction of the myelin around the nerve fibers. “The exact etiology of Multiple Sclerosis is unknown; however, it is thought to be an immune mediated disease. MS is characterized by CNS inflammation, demyelination, and axonal loss” (Compston & Coles, 2008). Typically, it is described by early relapses and remissions of neurological signs of the CNS. This is known as relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). MS can be identified by a variety of known risk factors. Multiple Sclerosis can be brought on by a mixture of inherited and environmental risk factors such as smoking or an exposure to a virus like Epstein Barr. The inflammatory process has an interesting role on the central nervous system.
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that involves the different areas of the central nervous system, the brain, and spinal cord. It damages the myelin sheath, the material that surrounds and protects the
Multiple Sclerosis is a disease of the brain and central nervous system that is potentially disabling. Multiple Sclerosis, commonly called MS, is a disease where the immune system attacks to protective myelin sheaths that cover the nerve fibers, which causes communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body. The disease can cause the nerves themselves to be damaged, either temporarily or, in some cases, permanently. MS is a disease that has the natural tendency to remit spontaneously. MS is an unpredictable disease that is rare and hard to treat as there is currently no cure. However, although there is no cure many of the people who are diagnosed with MS do well with no therapy as there are many medications to help with the
Multiple Sclerosis is a nervous system disease that affects the spinal cord and the brain by damaging the myelin sheaths that protects nerve cells. Destroyed myelin prevents messages from communicating and sending properly from the brain, through the spinal cord, to internal body parts. In the United States, more than 350,000 people are diagnosed with this disease. Anyone can get this disease, but it is more common among Caucasian women. MS symptoms begin between the ages 20-40 and are caused by nerve lesions being present in multiple areas of the Central Nervous System, symptoms differ on the lesion’s location.
M.S., as some would call it, also known as multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease. This disease, in particular, could also be viewed as an autoimmune disorder. It is not nearly as fatal as the sexually transmitted disease (AIDS), yet it can be just as debilitating. What exactly is Multiple Sclerosis? Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the immune system malfunctions and begins to attack the myelin sheath. The myelin sheath is an insulating cover around the nerves. Myelin provides the nervous system with communication signals. Once the myelin starts to deteriorate, the signals providing specific voluntary movements become distorted. After the self-involuntary damage, scarring begins to form thus concluding the term, sclerosis.
Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the Central Nervous System including the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. The immune system attacks the protective sheath called myelin that helps nerve fibers conduct electrical impulses (Early, pg. 517,2013). It disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and the body. Multiple Sclerosis is diagnosed when there will be the evidenced of damage in at least two separate parts of Central Nervous System (Early, pg. 517,2013). It causes the demyelination that is disruption of the myelin that insulates and protects nerve cells of spinal nerve and brain cells. The cause of Multiple Sclerosis is still unknown (Early, pg. 517,2013). Most commonly affects the people between the ages of 15 and 60. It can occur at any age and can appear in children, teens, and older adults. It is more common in women than men (Early, pg. 517,2013). It may follow various courses related to progression
So what is happening chemically to the people with MS? The disease is an Autoimmune which this will destroy the cells which are in your body. The immune system is going to attack the tissue which it is going to affect the Myelin. When the Myelin is damaged which is when the T cells over react , and cause them to damaged. That is what happens Chemically with MS people.
Primarily, the term MS refers to a chronic disorder that attacks the central nervous system (CNS). It is most common in temperate continents such as Europe and Australia with Asiatic and African continents having a lower risk of the disease (Wiley Online Library, 2013). A search organised by the Multiple Sclerosis Society (2013) has estimated that there are 127,000 people living with MS in the United Kingdom. Further research by Chipps, Clanin, and Campbell (1992, pp. 158-167) shows that MS disorder more likely affects women than men with its symptoms occurring between the ages of 20 and 40 in most cases and is quite uncommon in childhood and old age. The nerve cells known as neurons in the brain constantly transmit and receive signals. They invoke emotions, activities and cognition that constitute the day to day experiences of humans. Under normal circumstances, these signals travel on a protected insulation path known as the myelin sheath. This insulation is vital as it enables signals to reach their target. In Multiple Sclerosis, the myelin sheath gets disintegrated causing the nerve fibre to be damaged leading to a disruption in the abili...
Multiple Sclerosis, also known as, MS is a rare and crippling disease of the central nervous system. Multiple Sclerosis is the result of the protective membrane, the myelin sheath that covers the axon of a nerve cell which gets destroyed by inflammation or scarring. When the nerve cell gets destroyed it results in the nerve signal stopping or slowing down. The damage to the nerve cells are a result of the immune systems cells attacking the nervous system. Multiple Sclerosis is a very rare disease. MS affects less than 200,000 people per year. Of those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis majority of the people are women. Multiple Sclerosis has to be diagnosed by a doctor after laboratory test and imaging test have been completed. Most people who have been diagnosed with MS
MRI Scans (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) have completely revolutionized the diagnosis and surveillance of all patients going through all stages of Multiple Sclerosis. The precise images produced by MRI’s allow the physicians to get a clear cut visual of anything abnormal within the deep tissues of the brain. MRI’s are particularly used when detecting central nervous system demyelination.