Diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis disease is an inflammatory neurological disorder which generates a wide symptomatic spectrum. Multiple sclerosis disease primarily affects the central nervous system, interfering with the normal activity of the nervous cells. Multiple sclerosis disease involves deterioration of the neurons’ myelin covering, a very important substance that facilitates the transmission of nervous signals between nervous cells. If myelin sheath is affected, the connections between neurons are compromised and the body fails to respond promptly to external stimuli.
Multiple sclerosis disease is diagnosed upon complicated physical and neuropsychological examinations, as well as specific clinical procedures and laboratory tests. Common methods of diagnosing multiple sclerosis disease are MRI scans and lumbar puncture, methods which can reveal possible damage of myelin.
The signs and symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis can be clouded by other severe diseases such as stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Studies have revealed that it could have taken one to ten years longer to diagnose Multiple sclerosis in people who had mental health issues, were obese, or who had other physical problems, including smoking.
Fortunately the health care systems have progressed in the process of diagnosing neurological diseases with imaging techniques that now can help diagnose diseases of the brain quicker and tell more of the destruction caused by it. Since there are no single clinical test to diagnose multiple sclerosis, several tools are used to first rule out other damaging disorders. Lesions in the central nervous system can be found by using different expert imaging technologies. The plaque is the consequence of the loss of myelin sheath. MRI test, the Magnetic Resonance Imaging is painless and exposes no radiation. A magnetic resonance spectroscopy or the MRS can give information about the brain chemical N-acetyl aspartate. Decreased levels of the results may show nerve damage. The MTI or Magnetization Transfer Imaging detects white matter problem areas before lesions exist.
FMRI or the Functional MRI test uses radio waves to measure differences in the physical function of the brain such as mental problems and blood flow. VEP or the Visual Evoked Potential test is the study of cerebrospinal fluid that circulates through the brain and the spinal cord. This test result can show cellular and chemical abnormalities associated with multiple sclerosis. With the help of these test results, physicians are able to more easily diagnose what is a true multiple sclerosis attack, but there can be similar symptoms in some conditions and diseases. Lupus erythematosus, syringomyelin, Polyarteritis, tropical spastic Para paresis, some cancers, and certain tumors may show attacks and some multiple sclerosis like lesions of the brains white matter. Often it is commonly understood to take a closer look when there are a reoccurrence of the multiple sclerosis symptoms.
Neurological tests performed by a medical person can show decreases in nerve function. This condition might be a loss in sensations such as numbness of pins and needles. There may be signs and symptoms of the loss of neurologic functions including changes in vision, speech or the ability to move parts of the body.
The test of Babinski’s reflex may show as a positive. This test is normally done on the outside sole of the foot with a painful stimulus. A positive result of the test would be for an upward movement of the big toe instead of the normal result of a downward flex.
2 comments February 8th, 2009