...Multiple Sclerosis (MS): An Autoimmune Disease. You are in your mid twenty but you feel fatigue, numbness of extremities, chronic pain, vision problem, etc almost daily. Then sometime, you feel dizzy, vertigo, loss of balance, involuntary muscle spasms, and difficult to move around. You may feel depress and mood swings in addition to these symptoms. What is wrong with you? You are at the age where as young adults with full energize life ahead, ready to take charge of an independent life and assume a various social roles and economic responsibilities like a new career after college and graduate school, begin an intimate romance relationships, or maybe starting a family of your own (Falvo, 2009). What you are experiences are the common symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a Central Nervous System (CNS) disease which affects over 400,000 Americans, and every week about 200 people are diagnosed. Worldwide, it affects about 2.5 million people (NewsRx Health and Science, 2012). Its exact cause is unknown, however the common thought is some unknown virus or gene defect is the blame. To really understand Multiple Sclerosis we will need to look at it definition and history, the statistics of number people afflicted with it, what are the social-psychological challenges of the disease. We will also need to look at what kind of research projects and experiments have been done regarding the disease, what kind of help and support that the community have to offer to its patients,...
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...Multiple Sclerosis Corrine Ruffin ITT Technical Institute Nursing 110 Instructor: April Mock Date: 11/20/2015 Multiple Sclerosis is a disease in which the immune system fights the central nervous system; this makes it an immune-mediated disease. Inside the central nervous system, the immune system attacks the nerve fibers and the fatty matter that encases and pads the nerve fibers called the myelin (National MS Society, n.d). The harmed myelin forms scar tissue which is called sclerosis; this is how the disease had its name chosen. Nerve signals go back and forth from the brain to the spinal cord become broken up and sporadic causing an array of symptoms that one with multiple sclerosis would experience. There is still no known definite cause of multiple sclerosis; however researchers believe there are various things that contribute. Since multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease it simply means that body attacks itself; yet there it is believed there are environmental factors that play a role in one having multiple sclerosis (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2015). For example, research has shown that people who live closer to the equator make more vitamin D naturally and this vitamin helps an individual to not develop the disease; therefore individuals who live in areas with seasonal climate change have a greater risk of getting multiple sclerosis (National MS Society, n.d). There have been certain infections that are linked to the disease. Viruses such has herpes, measles,...
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...Correcting Misperceptions Dr. Silvia Kofler November 16, 2014 Multiple Sclerosis and its Misperceptions Most of us have heard about Multiple Sclerosis or have seen the commercials on TV and even donated money to its cure research. As most of us do, we turn the channel or choose to ignore what we see on TV, until it hits home. If you like me, and know someone that as this illness, then you know where I am coming from. My step dad was diagnosed with this illness and now it has completely changed our lives. He can no longer walk about on his own, he is in an electric wheelchair and my mom has to help him with everyday activities, things that he used to be able to do on his own. More than 2.1 million people worldwide are affected by M.S, over 400,000 in the U.S alone, yet there are many misconceptions about the illness and its prognosis. Before we get into the misperceptions of Multiple Sclerosis we need to understand what exactly is Multiple Sclerosis and what does it do to the human body. According to Wikipedia, Multiple Sclerosis also knows as disseminated sclerosis or encephalomyelitis disseminate is an inflammatory disease in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This damage disrupts the ability of parts of the nervous system to communicate, resulting in a wide range of signs and symptoms, including physical, mental, and sometimes psychiatric. Multiple Sclerosis takes several forms, with new symptoms either occurring in...
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...Rebecca Lewis Anatomy & Physiology 1 Proffesor Mittelstaedt Multiple Sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that attacks the myelin that covers the axons of the nerves. As a result of the immune system attacking the nervous system and degrading the Myelin, the nerves in the body are exposed. Therefore, a person suffering from MS has nerves that are improperly insulated. This damage to the myelin is called scleroses, which ultimately results in the myelin being turned into hardened lesions. When any part of the myelin sheath or nerve fiber is damaged or destroyed, the nerve impulses traveling to and from the brain and spinal cord are interrupted. Since a properly functioning nervous system is required for proper muscle movement (as well as adequate function of every other body system), patients with MS experience a variety of symptoms, including spasticity. Spasticity is a particularly pervasive symptom in patients with MS. The damage disrupts important signals between the nervous system and muscles, creating an imbalance that increases muscle activity (spasms). Muscle movement relies on complete pathways between the nerves, spinal cord, and brain and without proper myelination, the affected pathways will malfunction. Those with MS generally experience one of four disease courses: relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), primary-progressive MS (PPMS), secondary-progressive MS (SPMS), and progressive-relapsing MS. Within...
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...Smith @02659641 Informative Speech Multiple sclerosis (MS) includes an immune-mediated process in which a strange reaction of the body's immune system is steered against the central nervous system. Inside the central nervous system, the immune system assaults myelin, and in addition the nerve strands. The damaged myelin structures scar tissue called sclerosis, hence where the disease receives its name. At the point when any piece of the myelin sheath or nerve fiber is harmed or decimated, nerve driving forces heading out to and from the brain and spinal cord are contorted or interfered with, creating a wide mixture of symptoms. In 1868, Jean-Martin Charcot, an educator at the University of Paris, precisely analyzed a young woman with a tremor of a sort he had never seen previously and inspected her brain and discovered the trademark scars or "plaques" of MS. Multiple sclerosis was formally perceived as an illness in its own particular right in the 1870s by Dr. Walter Moxen in England and Dr. Edward Seguin in New York. A standout amongst the most paramount catalysts in the battle against MS was made when the National Multiple Sclerosis Society was established in 1946 (Roth). While the reason for MS is still unknown, researchers believe that the connection of a few distinctive variables may be included. Approximately more than 400,000 individuals in the United States and around 2.5 million individuals around the world have Multiple Sclerosis. MS is known to happen all the more...
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...Kneiser 1 Multiple Sclerosis Pathophysiology 216C11 Professor Steggall Bessie Kneiser November 28, 2011 Kneiser 2 Abstract Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic immune mediated disease that affects the central nervous system. The bodies immune system attacks normal tissue and/or organs. The attack starts with inflammation against myelin and the cells that make the myelin. Myelin is the insulation that surrounds axons and speeds up nerve impulses. There are multiple symptoms that characterize MS. Double vision, fatigue, numbness and weakness are common traits. Pain in various extremities is common. The actual cause of MS is unknown. There is no cure. There are medications used to help treat the symptoms of MS, such as corticosteriods and interferons. It is diagnosed after an MRI of two different parts of the CNS show lesions that occurred at two separate times. The doctor must rule out any other possible explanation before diagnosing the patient. MS is very stressful for the patient and family. Planning ahead is the best option for families to help them cope with the disease. There are approximately one in seven-hundred and fifty people that have the diagnosis at any given time. MS is more common in temperate areas and unusual in tropical areas. It is extremely rare in Africans. MS is known...
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...Multiple Sclerosis Sarah HCS 245 March 25, 2013 Dr. Tira Hancock MS, RD, CD, NBCT Multiple Sclerosis Imagine going to the doctor because you have tingling or numbness in you extremities or face, you are constantly tired, and having trouble seeing. You go to your physician and explain all of your ailments to your doctor. They diagnose you with fibromyalgia and vitamin B12 deficiency. After being prescribed medications for those diseases, two weeks later you experience bladder problems and walking difficulties. You return to the doctor with the added ailments. Since you came back with more ailments, they are more inclined to get a full family medical history, neurological exam, MRI, and spinal fluid analysis. The results come back from all of these tests that were ran at you second doctors visit, you are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Multiple sclerosis is often misdiagnosed; this is because there is not a single test that tells doctors that a person has MS, and to be diagnosed with MS there needs to be signs in two separate areas of the central nervous system. This paper will describe what multiple sclerosis is, who is affected, environmental factors that contribute to MS, methods of controlling MS, and if social/cultural influences play a part in this disease. What Is Multiple Sclerosis? Multiple sclerosis is a painful disease that has scientists stumped. Many are calling multiple sclerosis an autoimmune disease, which means your immune system is fighting...
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...Multiple Sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis (MS), also known as Disseminate sclerosis or encephalomyelitis disseminate, is an inflammation disease in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. The damage disrupts the ability of parts of the nervous system to communicate, resulting in a wide range of signs and symptoms, including physical, mental and sometimes psychiatric problems. MS takes several forms, with new symptoms either occurring in isolated attacks (relapsing forms) or building up over time progressively. Between attacks symptoms may disappear completely, however permanent neurological problems, often occurs, especially as the disease advance in this excerpt of multiple sclerosis it will explain, how it is treated and where it originated from and much more. MS is typically diagnosed based on the representing signs & symptoms, in combination with supporting medical imaging and laboratory testing it can be difficult to confirm, especially early on since the signs & symptoms may be similar to of another medical diagnosis. The McDonald Criteria in which focus on clinical, laboratory, and radiologic evidence of lesion at different times and in different areas, is the most commonly used method of diagnosis. Multiple Sclerosis usually affects people between the ages 20- 50 years, and the average age of onset is approximately 34 years, There is no known cure for MS at this time, but, there are treatments that may slow...
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...Multiple Sclerosis * Signs and symptoms vary depending on the amount of damage and what nerves are affected. Some people lose the ability to walk independently or at all while others experience long periods of remission during which they develop no new symptoms. I always thought that this disease affected everyone the same way. I did not know that there could be different amounts of damage to the nerves. * During the acute stage of MS steroids are given through IV and are more commonly prescribe and often can help patients recover more rapidly. I thought since this was issue that affected the brain that there wasn’t any medications to help the patient recover from this. * MS is a chronic condition, because there is not a cure for the disease. Even though the vast majority of people who have MS the disease is not fatal. Since the disease is not curable I thought it would be more likely that someone would die from it but that is not the case at all. * People with MS are advised to stay cool whenever possible. Heat intolerance is a common condition and often causes an exacerbation of symptoms. Hot baths, fevers, or the sun. This is interesting because I didn’t know that heat could make you have a relapse. * Risk factors that may increase MS are those of the Caucasian race, female gender, family history of MS, and history of infection of Hepatitis B. I didn’t know that Caucasian female where more likely to get MS. This was very...
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...What is Multiple sclerosis? Multiple sclerosis, also known as disseminated sclerosis or encephalomyelitis disseminata is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system (CNS), leading to demyelination. It may cause numerous physical and mental symptoms, and often progresses to physical and cognitive disability. Disease onset usually occurs in young adults, is more common in women, and has a prevalence that ranges between 2 and 150 per 100,000 depending on the country or specific population. Multiple sclerosis affects the areas of the brain and spinal cord known as the white matter. White matter cells carry signals between the grey matter areas, where the processing is done, and the rest of the body. More specifically, Multiple sclerosis destroys oligodendrocytes which are the cells responsible for creating and maintaining a fatty layer, known as the myelin sheath, which helps the neurons carry electrical signals. MS results in a thinning or complete loss of myelin and, less frequently, the cutting (transection) of the neuron's extensions or axons. When the myelin is lost, the neurons can no longer effectively conduct their electrical signals. The name multiple sclerosis refers to the scars (scleroses - better known as plaques or lesions) in the white matter. Loss of myelin in these lesions causes some of the symptoms, which vary widely depending upon which signals are interrupted. However, more advanced forms of imaging are now showing that...
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...Multiple Sclerosis (MS) 1. What does MS stand for? * Multiple sclerosis 2. What is MS caused by? * Immunologic: MS is considered an immune-mediated disease as the immune system malfunctions and attacks the CNS * Genetic: Several genes are believed to play a role in MS. Your chance of developing MS is slightly higher if a close relative has the disease. If one parent has MS, the risk of their children getting the disease is estimated to be between 2% and 5%. Scientists believe that people with MS are born with a genetic susceptibility to react to certain environmental agents. An autoimmune response is triggered when they encounter these agents. * Environmental: Vitamin D benefits the function of the immune system. People who live near the equator are exposed to more sunlight. As a result, their bodies produce more vitamin D. Since MS is considered an immune-mediated disease, vitamin D and sunlight exposure may be linked. * Infections: Viruses are known to cause inflammation and a breakdown of myelin. Therefore, it’s possible that a virus could trigger MS. Several viruses and bacteria are being investigated to determine if they’re involved in the development of MS. These include: * Measles virus * Human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) * Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) 3. What are the symptoms of MS? * Muscular spasms and problems with – weakness, coordination, balance and functioning of the arms and legs * Fatigue –heat sensitivity *...
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...The extension study experience confirms that daily glatiramer acetate injections are well tolerated. Injection site reactions rarely led to early termina- tion of dosing, and the self-limited, transient sys- temic reactions were rare and did not lead to permanent or life-threatening sequelae. There were no laboratory abnormalities considered to be associ- ated with glatiramer acetate, a finding previously reported in trials of glatiramer a ~ e t a t eT. ~he adverse events profile for glatiramer acetate is distinctly bet- ter than the experience observed with the beta inter- ferons when used in similar patient ~opulations.'~J~ The role of neutralizing antibodies in limiting the effectiveness of long-term therapies used to modify MS is still unclear. There is preliminary evidence that the beta interferons lose effectiveness once neu- tralizing antibodies to them develop16; however, these finding are still being investigated. Patients chronically injected with glatiramer ace- tate commonly develop binding antibodies that peak at 3 to 6 months and then decline. However, inde- pendent studies have failed to demonstrate that an- tibodies neutralize either experimental or clinical effects of the drug treatment.17-19The continued clin- ical benefit, observed in regard to both the MS re- lapse rate and on neurologic disability when this study was extended, suggests that the modifying ef- fect of glatiramer acetate on MS was not compro- mised by appearance of neutralizing antibodies...
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...What are the physical and cognitive benefits of exercise on patients with multiple sclerosis? 1. Bayraktar D, Guclu-Gunduz A, Yazici G, et al. Effects of Ai-Chi on balance, functional mobility, strength and fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis: a pilot study. NeuroRehabilitation. 2013; 33(3):431-7. This research study was designed to examine the effects of Ai-Chi exercises in a swimming pool on balance and mobility in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Poor balance and decreased mobility is a common issue with MS, and the decline often limits daily activities. Researchers recruited twenty-three females affected by MS, and divided them into two groups. The exercise group performed Ai-Chi exercises for a 60 minute session twice a week for eight weeks. The control group did a home exercise program that only involved abdominal breathing and active range of motion exercises. Upon conclusion of the program, subjects were tested on static balance, functional mobility, fatigue, and muscle strength. The exercise group showed significant improvements across all measures, but the control group did not. This shows that the aquatic exercise program is a viable option to combat the negative effects of MS. A strength of this study was the use of aquatic therapy. The researchers stated that although this therapy is widely used, more studies need to be performed to gain more knowledge. Recording results on patients is concrete evidence that these programs work. This study was published...
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...Pathophysiology of Multiple Sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, affecting the brain and spinal cord. MS affects approximately 400,000 people in the United States alone. The onset of MS is usually between 20 and 40 years of age and is more common in women; men may have a more severe progressive course (Luzzio, 2013). Life expectancy is shortened in persons with MS, and the survival rate is linked to disability. Death usually results from secondary complications but can also be due to primary complications unrelated to MS. The occurrence rate of MS is affected by gene-environment interactions in susceptible individuals (Huether & McCance, 2012). Definition of Disorder Multiple sclerosis is a progressive, inflammatory, demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system (CNS), which can affect the peripheral nervous system (PNS) as well. This disorder affects movements, sensation, and bodily functions (National Multiple Sclerosis Society [NMSS], 2012). There are several types of MS, these include: mixed (general), spinal, and cerebellar. General MS affects both the CNS and PNS, while spinal and cerebellar affect the CNS. Causes and Etiological Factors The cause of MS is unknown, but multiple factors act together to trigger or bring about the disease. Some of these causes include: a virus causing demyelization, violent trauma to the head or spinal cord, and or an immune system attack...
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...What is multiple sclerosis? Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the prototypical inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) and the most common cause of disability among young adults. Most patients present with a relapsing-remitting illness, characterized by discrete episodes of focal neurological deficit with temporal and anatomical dispersion in the CNS. Although the underlying cause of MS remains unknown, studies have suggested that the pathology of MS begins with the activation and proliferation of T cells in the peripheral lymphoid organs. With the help of MMPs and adhesion mollecules, T cells cross the blood brain barrier(BBB), where they recognize components of the myelin sheath, triggering cytoking relsease and subsequent disruption of the myelin sheath. Damage can be accumulated over time and result in progressive axonal loss and brain atrophy. What is EAE model?...
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