Multiple sclerosis
Disease that damages the myelin sheaths around nerves / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Multiple sclerosis?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged.[3] This damage disrupts the ability of parts of the nervous system to transmit signals, resulting in a range of signs and symptoms, including physical, mental, and sometimes psychiatric problems.[1][8][9] Specific symptoms can include double vision, vision loss, eye pain, muscle weakness, and loss of sensation or coordination.[3][10][11] MS takes several forms, with new symptoms either occurring in isolated attacks (relapsing forms) or building up over time (progressive forms).[12][13] In the relapsing forms of MS, between attacks, symptoms may disappear completely, although some permanent neurological problems often remain, especially as the disease advances.[13] In the progressive forms of MS, bodily function slowly deteriorates and disability worsens once symptoms manifest and will steadily continue to do so if the disease is left untreated.[14]
This article needs more reliable medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources, specifically: references that do not meet Wikipedia's guidelines for medical content, or are excessively dated, are contained in this article. (July 2022) |
Multiple sclerosis | |
---|---|
Other names | Multiple cerebral sclerosis, multiple cerebro-spinal sclerosis, disseminated sclerosis, encephalomyelitis disseminata |
CD68-stained tissue shows several macrophages in the area of a demyelinated lesion caused by MS. | |
Specialty | Neurology |
Symptoms | Variable, including almost any neurological symptom or sign, with autonomic, visual, motor, and sensory problems being the most common.[1] |
Usual onset | Age 20–50[2] |
Duration | Long term[3] |
Causes | Unknown[4] |
Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms and medical tests[5] |
Treatment | Disease-modifying therapies[6]
Physiotherapy[7] Occupational therapy[7] |
Frequency | 0.032% (world) |
While the cause is unclear, the underlying mechanism is thought to be either destruction by the immune system or failure of the myelin-producing cells.[4] Proposed causes for this include immune dysregulation, genetics, and environmental factors, such as viral infections.[15][16][8][17] MS is usually diagnosed based on the presenting signs and symptoms and the results of supporting medical tests.[5]
No cure for multiple sclerosis is known.[18] Current treatments are aimed at mitigating inflammation and resulting symptoms from acute flares and prevention of further attacks with disease-modifying medications.[8][19] Physical therapy[7] and occupational therapy,[20] along with patient-centered symptom management, can help with people's ability to function. The long-term outcome is difficult to predict; better outcomes are more often seen in women, those who develop the disease early in life, those with a relapsing course, and those who initially experienced few attacks.[21]
Multiple sclerosis is the most common immune-mediated disorder affecting the central nervous system.[22] Nearly one million people in the United States had MS in 2022,[23] and in 2020, about 2.8 million people were affected globally, with rates varying widely in different regions and among different populations.[24] The disease usually begins between the ages of 20 and 50 and is twice as common in women as in men.[2] MS was first described in 1868 by French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot.[25]
The name "multiple sclerosis" is short for multiple cerebro-spinal sclerosis, which refers to the numerous glial scars (or sclerae – essentially plaques or lesions) that develop on the white matter of the brain and spinal cord.[25]