Multiple Sclerosis

Symptoms of MS can range from mild to disabling, and symptoms usually begin between age 20 and 40 with blurred or double vision. Many people with MS also experience muscle weakness in their limbs, tingling or numbness, fatigue, and difficulty with coordination and balance, all of which can cause issues with walking and standing.

As the disease progresses, people with MS may develop muscle stiffness, dizziness, pain, speech problems, cognitive impairments, and urinary problems. Less common symptoms include tremors, blindness, and paralysis. Two-thirds of people with MS continue to be able to walk, though they may need help from a device such as a cane for stability or a wheelchair due to fatigue or balance issues.

People with MS may experience relapses, or times when their symptoms flare up or new symptoms start, as well as periods of remission, times when symptoms are more mild. As the disease progresses, they may no longer have times of remission. A small percentage, about 15% of people with MS, do not experience any periods of remission but rather a more slow-and-steady progression of the disease from the onset.

Diagnosis is typically determined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), lumbar puncture (spinal tap) and/or electrical tests. Doctors look for damage in at least two different areas of the central nervous system that have occurred at different times. They will also typically do blood tests to rule out other diseases.

There is no cure for MS, but there are many treatment options to prevent relapses and further damage to the central nervous system. These treatments include as many as 16 drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

There are also therapies for treating MS relapses, including corticosteroids, which reduce nerve inflammation, and plasma exchange, which involves removing the liquid part of the blood, mixing it with a protein and putting it back. Plasma exchange is best for those with new, severe symptoms that don’t respond to steroids.

MS can also be managed with lifestyle changes and symptom management to improve quality of life. New research on diet, exercise and general wellness have shown benefits for people with MS.

There is much that is still unknown about multiple sclerosis. Research can help us better understand what causes MS, how to prevent relapses of the disease, and how to develop new treatment options to not only stop nerve damage but also repair it.

The American Brain Foundation supports a number of promising research efforts. Dr. Farinaz Safavi is currently researching an enzyme that has shown promise in reducing inflammation in the brains of people with MS. Dr. Omar Al-Louzi is using new imaging techniques to learn more about the “central vein sign” (CVS), a blood vessel that is more frequently present in lesions in people with MS than other diseases, which may help with diagnosis and monitoring of MS lesions. And Dr. Ulrike Kaunzner is exploring if the presence of chronic active lesions, which have more inflammation than inactive lesions and are associated with more severe MS, and whether they can predict the disease’s progression.