BIOL 553 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Multiple Sclerosis, Urinary Urgency, Diplopia
Document Summary
Provide an overview of the pathogenesis and impact of multiple sclerosis. Assess the genetic, environmental, and infectious risk factors for multiple sclerosis in the context of primary and exacerbating causes. Definition of multiple sclerosis: a chronic, degenerative, inflammatory disease of the central nervous system characterized by gradual destruction of myelin in patches in the central nervous system, muscular weakness, loss of coordination and speech and visual disturbances. Prevalence in us: 350,000 patients (~ of ms patients use a wheelchair ) -patient cycles between full or partial remission of symptoms and relapses. -occurs in about 50% of patients after 10 years of illness. -gradual progression of the disease from its onset with no remissions. Loss of insulative myelin around neurons in lesions during the inflammation. Loss of myelin-producing glial cells probably precedes inflammation. Manifestations are variable from person to person depending on the site of the lesions. Hla alleles show most consistent association with multiple sclerosis (kenealy et al.
