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Multiple Sclerosis (MS). LaTasha Wilson Nate Jr. Pathophysiology of MS. In MS, the body’s own defense system attacks myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers.
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Multiple Sclerosis (MS) LaTasha Wilson Nate Jr.
Pathophysiology of MS • In MS, the body’s own defense system attacks myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers. • When any myelin sheath or nerve fibers is damaged or destroyed, nerve impulses traveling to and from the brain and spinal cord are interrupted, producing the symptoms.
Signs and Symptoms • MS has many signs and symptoms. • Some of which can also be found in other diseases. • Some symptoms are: • Visual Disturbances • Muscle Weakness • Trouble with coordination and balance • Sensations such as numbness, prickling, or “pins and needles” • Thinking and memory problems • Fatigue • Dizziness and vertigo • Pain • Emotional changes (depression)
Who gets MS?? • MS affects women more than men. • It often begins between the ages of 20 to 40.
Prevention • Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent MS.
How is it Diagnosed??Criteria: • In order to diagnose Multiple Sclerosis; • Physician’s Must: • Find evidence of damage in at least 2 separate areas in the CNS (Central Nervous System) • Find evidence that the damage occurred at least one month apart • And rule out all other possibilities.
How is it diagnosed??Tools: • There are many ways to diagnose MS. • Some of those ways are: • MRIs • VEPs (Visual Evoked Potential) • Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis • Blood Tests
About the Tools?? • An MRI is the best technology for detecting the presence of MS plaques of scarring (also called lesions) in different parts of the CNS. • The diagnosis of MS cannot be made solely on an MRI because there are other diseases that cause lesions like those caused by MS. • VEPs are recordings of the nervous system’s electrical response to the stimulation of specific sensory pathways because damage to the myelin results in a slowing of response time. • VEPs are considered the most useful for confirming MS diagnosis. • Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis is when fluid is taken from the spinal column (lumbar puncture) and analyzed. • Blood tests; there is no definite blood test for MS, but blood tests help rule out other conditions that cause symptoms similar to those of MS.
Treatments of MS • MS is treated by many things such as: • Physical Therapy • Muscle Relaxants • Steroids • Psychological counseling • These treatments are used to maintain functional ability as long as possible.
Prognosis of MS • It is generally very difficult to predict the course of MS. • Most people have a normal life expectancy. • A few patients with severe disability may die prematurely of infectious complications (pneumonia), so the overall expectancy is 95% normal.
Works Cited • http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/multiplesclerosis.html • http://www.nationalmssociety.org