Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder. Somewhere
between 250,000 and 350,000 people in the US alone have been
diagnosed with MS, most when they are between 20 to 40 years old.
The disease can be quite debilitating.
1. Myelination and neurons affected by MS are in which area of the
nervous system: CNS or PNS? Therefore, the type of myelinating
cells that are attacked in MS are:
2. What are the plaques of MS and how do they happen?
3. Once a plaque is formed, how does this change the function of
the neurons in that area? Connect your answer to the list of
initial symptoms and later symptoms.
4. What are the theories behind why the immune system might attack
the myelin sheath?
1. Multiple sclerosis is characterized by demyelination or destruction of myelin sheth which lines the neuron axons. The name refers to the appearance of multiple scars on myelin sheeth of brain and spinal cord which are part of the central nervous system (CNS). Astrocytes are more prone to get affected by auto immune attack of MS and contribute to the development of MS lesions.
2. Plaques of MS are the scars arised due to myelin damage of nerve fibers. They are often identified by macrophages contain myelin fragments and also contains contain proteins and lipids from chemical degradation of myelin. Over time, these plaques reach to the burst out state which contains demyelinated axons.
3. Presence of plaques and demyelination affects the smooth flow of nerve impulses. Plaques obstruct the flow of information through the axons. The very first symptoms of MS is called as exacerbation, usually a attack. It often relapse and contribute for relapsing-remitting symptoms. Plaque in the optic nerve causes optic neuritis associated with pain in the eye and a rapid loss of vision. Plaques are usually appear in lateral ventricles of brain and cause brain atropy. Plaques in the spinal cord impact the motor activity shows symptoms of weak, stiff muscles, often with painful muscle spasms.It also contribute for the disturbances of muscular control over the speech mechanism.
4. MS is an auto immune disorder occur due to the error mechanism in immune system. Immune system is defined to fight against the foreign invaders like virus,bacteria, pathogens and dust. Often, it affects body's own cells mistakenly result in auto immune disorders. The reason might be the error in the mechanism of positive and negative clonal selection of immune cells. In MS, immune cells attack the myelin sheath of axons of CNS.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder. Somewhere between 250,000 and 350,000 people in the US...
Case Study Multiple Sclerosis You have been asked to see D.V. in the neurology clinic. D.V., gas been referred by his internist, who thinks his patient is having symptoms of MS. D.V. is a 25-year-old man who has experienced increasing urinary frequency and urgency over the past 2 months. Because his female partner was treated for a Sexual transmitted disease (STD), D.V. also underwent treatment, but the symptoms did not resolve. D.V. has also recently had 2 brief episodes of eye “fuzziness” associated with diplopia...