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Nicholas Scholz

Multiple Sclerosis - 0 views

www.nationalmssociety.org/...index.aspx

MS Basics

shared by Nicholas Scholz on 11 Aug 13 - No Cached
  • Multiple sclerosis (or MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS)
  • MS is a disease that involves an immune system attack against the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves)
  • Although MS is thought by some scientists to be an autoimmine disease, others disagree strongly because the specific target of the immune attack in MS has not yet been identified. For this reason, MS is referred to as an immune-mediated disease.
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  • As part of the immune attack on the central nervous system, myelin (the fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers in the central nervous system) is damaged, as well as the nerve fibers themselves
  • The damaged myelin forms scar tissue (sclerosis
  • Relapsing-Remitting MS
  • People with this type of MS experience clearly defined attacks of worsening neurologic function. These attacks—which are called relapses, flare-ups, or exacerbations —are followed by partial or complete recovery periods (remissions
  • Primary-Progressive MS
  • This disease course is characterized by slowly worsening neurologic function from the beginning—with no distinct relapses or remissions
  • Secondary-Progressive MS
  • Following an initial period of relapsing-remitting MS, many people develop a secondary-progressive disease course in which the disease worsens more steadily, with or without occasional flare-ups, minor recoveries (remissions), or plateaus
  • Progressive-Relapsing MS
  • In this relatively rare course of MS (5%), people experience steadily worsening disease from the beginning, but with clear attacks of worsening neurologic function along the way
  • but the disease continues to progress without remissions.
  • Nicholas Scholz on 11 Aug 13
     
    Multiple sclerosis has been associated with attacks against the central nervous system. The immune system has been identified to targeting organs such as the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It is known as an immune - mediated disease because there is no specific target that has been identified. The attacks by the immune system often damage myelin and create scarred tissue (sclerosis). Patients with multiple sclerosis could experience one of four courses identified with the disease. One course is the Relapsing-Remitting MS. In this course the patient experiences a severe attack on the CNS followed by remissions. The second course is known as the Primary-Progressive MS. In this course the central nervous system slowly deteriorates without any relapses or remissions. Another course of MS is the Secondary-Progressive MS. This form of MS generally follows the relapsing-remitting form of MS and progressively worsens the CNS with or without remissions and plateaus. The most rare form of MS is perhaps the Progressive-Relapsing MS. In this course of MS, patients generally experience a progressive worsening of neurological function, without any remissions.  
Nicholas Scholz

Treatments and Medications Used for Patients with MS - 0 views

www.mayoclinic.com/...DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs

MS Treatments and Therapies

shared by Nicholas Scholz on 11 Aug 13 - No Cached
  • Corticosteroids are mainly used to reduce the inflammation that spikes during a relapse
  • Beta interferons. These types of drugs — such as Avonex, Betaseron, Extavia and Rebif — appear to slow the progress of multiple sclerosis, reduce the number of attacks and lessen the severity of attacks
  • (Copaxone). This medication may reduce the number of MS attacks
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  • (Tysabri). This medication may reduce the number of MS attacks by interfering with the movement of potentially damaging immune cells from your bloodstream to your brain and spinal cord.
  • Teriflunomide (Aubagio). This oral medication reduces attacks and lesions in people with MS.
  • Medications such as amantadine may help reduce fatigue due to multiple sclerosis.
  • Dalfampridine (Ampyra). This oral medication may improve walking speed in some people. The major side effect is seizures.
  • Muscle relaxants. If you have multiple sclerosis, you may experience painful or uncontrollable muscle stiffness or spasms, particularly in your legs. Muscle relaxants such as baclofen (Lioresal) and tizanidine (Zanaflex) may improve muscle spasticity
  • A physical or occupational therapist can teach you stretching and strengthening exercises and show you how to use devices that can make it easier to perform daily tasks.
  • For example, stem cell transplantation is being studied. In a stem cell transplant, doctors inject healthy stem cells into your body to replace diseased stem cells.
  • Nicholas Scholz on 11 Aug 13
     
    Though MS obviously has no cure there are plenty of procedures and medications that can be used to lessen the effects of the disease. Treating specific attacks reduces the damage to the myelin sheath. Two methods for controlling the attacks are plasma exchanges and corticosteroids. Another way to control the effects of MS is by slowing the progression of the disease. There are many different drugs that slow the rate of relapses some of which include Beta Interferons, Copaxone, Gilenya, and Tysabri. In addition to these medications, other strategies can be used to treat the symptoms, which include physical therapy and muscle relaxants. 
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