Multiple sclerosis is a disease involving the central system nerves (the spinal cord and brain) and their degeneration. In this disease, inflammation causes myelin to disappear. Myelin is a nerve insulation or covering. This causes the body's electrical impulses that travel alongside the nerves to become significantly slower. This causes destruction of the nerves. This can impair an individual's ability to walk, talk, see, remember and write. About 350,000 people in the United States have multiple sclerosis, and the diagnosis occurs generally between the ages of 20 and 30.
Diagnosis
There is such a diverse range of multiple sclerosis symptoms that the disease is often not diagnosed in an individual for years after symptoms initially start. A diagnosis for multiple sclerosis usually entails intensive physical and neurological examinations, and getting detailed medical histories from the patients.
Electro-Physiological Test
This is one test that closely analyzes the impulses that travel alongside the nerves to figure out whether the impulses are moving along at a normal rate or whether they are decelerating and moving too slowly. Slow moving nerves are a destructive sign and definitely usually a sign of an individual who has multiple sclerosis.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is another examination that helps to determine if an individual has multiple sclerosis or not. An MRI scans using intravenous gadolinium work to identify lesions located in the brain (also often referred to as "plaques"). MRI scans can also describe these lesions in detail.
Cerebro-Spinal Fluid Examination
Examining the cerebro-spinal fluid that is around both the brain and spinal cord is useful for possibly spotting any unusual chemicals, cells or antibodies that might imply the presence of multiple sclerosis. Abnormally functioning antibodies are generally a sign that the individual might have multiple sclerosis.
Theories/Speculation
There is no one single test that can determine whether an individual has multiple sclerosis or not. For a multiple sclerosis diagnosis, many individuals have to undergo extensive, prolonged observation and a number of different medical tests and examinations from neurologists. Symptom distribution (all over the body) is important to observe, as the disease has effects on different areas of the body all of the time.
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