DiZeeZ!

Kristen, Andy, Kim, Leanne

__**Multiple Sclerosis**__ Sources:

1. @http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001747/ 2. @http://www.nationalmssociety.org%2Findex.aspx&h=PAQDXdXI7 3. @http://www.mayoclinic.com%2Fhealth%2Fmultiple-sclerosis%2FDS00188&h=lAQDSYFsY 4. @http://www.msfacts.org%2F&h=bAQBzY6og 5. [] 6. [] 7. [] 8. [] 9. [] 10. http://www.bing.com/health/article/mayo-MADS00188/Multiple-sclerosis?q=multiple+sclerosis 11. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/multiple_sclerosis/multiple_sclerosis.htm 12. http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/ 13. [] 14. @http://www.everydayhealth.com/multiple-sclerosis/multiple-sclerosis-cure.aspx 15.http://www.everydayhealth.com/multiple-sclerosis/multiple-sclerosis-expert-answers.aspx 16. @http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgySDmRRzxY 17. @http://www.health.com/health/library/mdp/0,,zm6056,00. 18.[|www.multiplesclerosis.com] 19. [|https://ms.about.com]

Kristen-

Description of the disease:

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disorder of the CNS that affects 2.5 million people worldwide, and 400,000 in North America. In addition to overt nervous system symptoms, affected individuals experience disability, mood problems such as depression, and great fatigue. Four subtypes of MS are recognized based on the pattern of symptomatic periods over time. In MS, the myelin coating in various sites through the brain and spinal cord becomes inflamed due to an immune response and is eventually destroyed, leaving hard scars, called scleroses, that block the underlying neurons from transmitting messages. Muscles that no longer receive input from motor neurons stop contracting, and eventually they atrophy. Symptoms reflect the specific neurons affected. Shortcircuting in one part of the brain may affect fine coordination in one hand; if another brain part is affected, vision may be altered. -Holes Human Anatomy & physiology (book)

Origin of the disease:

The exact cause of MS is not known, but several environmental and genetic factors probably contribute to the autoimmune response. Researchers have discovered that the risk of MS is greater with increasing distance from the equator. Even in the United States, MS is more common in northern states than it is in southern states. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Scociety, the rate of MS in the United States below the 37th parallel is 57 to 78 cases per 100,000 people. Above the 37th parallel, the rate of MS is 110 to 140 cases per 100,000 people -- approximately twice the rate as below the 37th parallel. However, the reason for this distribution of MS is unknown. It is possible that something (e.g., a virus) in the environment triggers the autoimmune response. Genetic factors Susceptibility to MS probably has a genetic component. If a person has MS, there is an increased risk that a close relative, such as a child or sibling will have MS. The identical twin of a person with MS has about a 33% chance of developing MS. However, because this chance is not 100%, MS is not strictly an inherited disorder. -http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/ms.html

MS is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. An autoimmune disease happens when the immune system attacks and destroys the healthy body tissue. Symptoms vary and can occur in episodes. These episodes can last for days, weeks or even months. There can also be periods where no symptoms appear to be present. The many symptoms include: muscular, bowel & bladder, eye, numbness, tingling or pain, brain & nerves, sexual, speech & swallowing.

Kim- all info from webmd.com Symptoms early in the diagnosis process can include: symptoms as the disease gets more agressive less common symptoms rare symptoms
 * tingling/numbness and or weakness in 1 or more of your limbs
 * loss of balance
 * blurred or double vision
 * fatigue
 * heat sensibility
 * muscle spasms
 * dizziness
 * impared thinking
 * abnormal sensations - numbness, itching, burning
 * speech.swallowing problems
 * tremors
 * difficulty walking
 * sundden onset of of paralysis
 * cognitive difficulties
 * breathing problems
 * seizures

There are 3 types of syptoms Primary, secondary, and tertiary Primary is a direct result of the demyelination process. Some of these symptoms would include, weakness, tremors, numbness, bladder/bowel problems, paralysis etc. Medical rehibilitation and other treatments can help keep some of these under control. secondary are syptoms as a result of a primary symptom. i.e. paralysis can lead to bed sores, bladder/urinary incontinence can lead to UTI's. These can be treated but should be avoided by treating primary causes. Tertiary symptoms would include social, pschological, vocational complications, as a result from the primary/secondary symptoms. Ex. depression. Although the symptoms stay the say for the disease the progression is different with every person. And not experienced in the same order. Medications being used - All info from webmd.com (but compared with others)

Since there are so many symptoms of MS, the type of meds you are taking depend on the syptoms you are having and the severity. Some meds can be used on a regular basis or only sometimes as needed. Meds like corticosteroids (methylprednisolone) can help treat MS attacks. this and plasma exchanges can help you recover more quickly. There are medicinces for different parts of MS that can help reduce severity: for relapsing some meds used are Interferon beta (betaseron) for remitting some meds used are Glatiramer copaxone. or fingolimod ( gilenya) Some medicines such as Nataizumab ( tysabri) are only available on a limited basis only when other meds have stopped working.

Medications being studied - Some studies have been used for therapy although most have not been proven to be benificial include Immunosuppresants, and biological chemicals wich are derived form or identical substances produced by the body. Clinical trials are also being done.

In a recent poll 38% of people living wih MS have not done research on an appropriate diet suitable to their disease. As many resources tell us a well established diet can give advantage to a person living with ms. MS.about.com gives us a wide range of helpful hints on how to gain advantage on living with MS. Foods to avoid would include: Dairy - All animail milks and anything that contains them such as milks, butters, cheeses, and yogurts. Gluten - all wheat,rye, and barley Legumes - all beans, peas, peanuts, soybeans, and soy products Some foods that you can still enjoy but should probably limit would include eggs and yeast. Other foods can be substituted such as honey or maple syrup for refined sugars.
 * Eating with MS**

as found in ms.about.com

Taking vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements:
 * Vitamin D3: The “headliner” in the Best Bet Diet is vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), which is recommended in quantities of 2000 IU/day in the summer and 4000 IU/day in the winter - however, it is strongly recommended that you get tested for 25(OH)D to determine what the appropriate levels are in your case.
 * Calcium: This is recommended at between 800 to 1,200 mg/day, and even higher if you are concerned about [|osteoporosis](a common problem in people with MS).
 * Magnesium: Should be taken in a calcium:magnesium ration between 2:1 to 1:1. Therefore, if you take 1,000 mg of calcium, you should take between 500 and 1,000 mg of magnesium a day.
 * Other Vitamins, Oils, Minerals and Antioxidants: Embry recommends [|omega-3 fish oil], vitamin A, vitamin B complex and [|vitamin B12], vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, copper, [|selenium], manganese, gingko biloba, grape seed extract, coenzyme Q10, acidophilus, lecithin and amino acids. For specific information on quantities, visit this page.

The Evidence Supporting the The Best Bet Diet
To date there has been no formal research published on the Best Bet Diet, although a “clinical trial” was undertaken in early 2006 by Dr. Jonathan O’Riordan, a neurologist in Scotland. You can see a detailed description of trial procedures[| in this PDF document]. To my knowledge, results have not been published yet.

So although the word "diet" sounds quit intimidating and makes you want to run in the opposite direction, it is important to know what can trigger your symptoms.

MS or not it is important to maintain an active and relativly healthy lifestyle. Depending on your level of MS, excercising can be quit the challenge. Most times then not its because movement can be near impossible under your own body weight. Swimming has many benifits no matter what your health status is. Just a few of these are :
 * Swimming with MS**


 * it keeps your body temperature down
 * offers artificial balance through buoyancy
 * strengthens the body
 * helps to relax the mind
 * regulates breathing
 * stimulates circulation

If swimming is something you would like to add into your activities you may want to check at your public pool or local YMCA. Both facilities offer swimming lessions, or time just to do laps. Swimming isnt something you need a trainer for, just grab boogie board and hop in, and clear your mind.

Although none of these are going to cure your battle with MS. It can help you can advantage on everyday tasks. Establishing a healthy life style out side of MS can make a big difference in outbreaks of attacks.

Leanne

Testing: There is not a definative test that can diagnose MS. Patients that have MS go through an extensive medical history with thier doctor. The best type of doctor to do your exam is a neurologist because part of how to diagnose MS is a neurological exam. There are a variety of tests that can help in diagnosing but are not neccesary for every patient. These tests include: MRI, Spinal taps or Lumbar punctures, evoked potentials, and lab analysis of blood samples. An MRI shows scar tissue in the deep parts of the brain and spinal cord that is left behind by damages. An MRI can not soly be used in diagnosing MS because the lesions that may be found could also be caused by other diseases. Also not every patient that has MS, has lesions on the brain, but may on the spinal cord or some just too small to be seen on the MRI. A spinal tap or lumbar puncture is a test that can be used to confirm a diagnosis of MS, but is not neccesary. "Evoked potentials are electrical tests that are helpful in determining if MS has affected a persons visual, auditory or sensory pathwys." These tests measure a response to stimulation. Blood tests can be used to rule out other diseases that might mimic MS. Morbidity: Most of the time MS is not necessarily terminal, however there are occasions where the disease is so progeressive that it does become terminal. Most people with MS have a normal or near normal life expectancy. Severe MS can shorten life though. MS can be slowed down with medications but there is no cure at this point.

Andy

Health - Articles Articles [] This article is extremely exciting news for people with MS or people who know someone with MS. Researchers have all this time been missing a key molecule that is found in MS. Researchers used a mouse to find the function of the cells called oligodendrocytes. These cells have send messages to the nerve sites to make the signals more effective, these are the same cells that people with MS struggle having. A protein called Axin2 is involved is involved in the development of these cells. A drug called XAV939 can accelerate the repair damage of the myelin sheaths. They are still doing testing on the animal for these drugs to see if they could possible help humans in the future, because not all drugs that work on animals are going to work on humans as well.

[] Doctors use to wait until the patient had at least two attacks of MS to make sure that is was something that really needed to be treated. But recent research as decided that the earlier you start treating the less likely you are to damage your nerve system in the long run and possibly be able to repair it at some point. There is no cure for MS as of now but they are doing research on the disease and have released 6 new drugs that are helping prevent MS.

Current advancements on MS

[] There is always new research being done on just about every type of disorder. As of now they are currently trying to research about 15 new therapies for Multiple Sclerosis. They are thinking that in the future they are going to start to move away from how they are currently treating patients with MS which is frequent injection and start being able to give them a medicine that they take orally. Just like any other drug, research on it must be done first. Leukemia medication alemtuzumab was actually used for MS and they found out that it is 74 percent more likely that. MS patients have something to be looking forward to because there are lots of new medications and ideas on how to research MS and they aren't close to stopping to try and figure out the best possible solution to prevent MS.

Article on New Research: (Leanne) There are a variety of new researches that are being done for a vast amount of reasons. Some of the different types of research include: discovery research, translational research, clinical trials, and studies. The discovery research is the earliest type of research done to advance knowledge. Translational research is the research stage that tests the possibilities that can be done on human applications. The clinical trials have three phases. Phase I research is for safety. Phase II research is for efficacy and dosing trials. Phase III research is the final phase of both safety and efficacy. Phase IV studies are for continued monitoring of the safety and efficacy. Drug repurposing studies are for new indications for existing drugs. Finally Health policy research is for cost-benefit, access, and utilization. One of the latest projects of research is the Olig 1 Gene discovery. This gene helps to control the body’s ability to repair nerve damage caused by diseases like Multiple Sclerosis. This gene can stimulate the re-growth of myelin, which is a chemical in the body that MS deprives the body of during active periods of the disease. Research has shown that the Olig1 gene becomes active only in damaged areas of the brain. Researcher Dr Robin Franklin said: //"This suggests that the Olig 1's function has been shaped by evolution to repair the brain in areas where the insulating layer of myelin has been depleted through disease."// //This is a step forward in the research for treatment in patients with MS, however it has just begun and needs much more research before a treatment can be used from it.// // There are a lot of new research going on every day to help find more effective treatments and cures. //

// Article on living with MS (Andy Maratto) // Struggling is a part of every ones life, some struggles are a bit more challenging then others. The average college student goes through stress with homework, studying and maintaining a balance of all of their extracurricular activities. This may seem like a lot to the average human and in most peoples minds it is very challenging to maintain a proper balance of everything. Us as college students seemingly take advantage of that fact that we can even preform all those activities and often time don't take the time to think about what others are going through. People with Multiple Sclerosis go through all these stresses and more. Completing simple activities can be extremely hard for some, a simple task of just putting your socks on can be one of the most painful experiences that is dreaded every morning. Having a social life for a student in college can be hard depending on the type of student you are. Maintaining a social life while still getting good grades is often times challenging depending on what type of learner you are. Having MS makes it so everyday is a challenge to have a social life. The best advice that is given for people that have MS and are maintaining a social life is to know your limits. If you are hanging out and you start to have complications there is no reason to keep on pursuing what you are doing. Having to deal with this type of situation everyday can be extremely challenging because if it happens to you every time you are out socializing then it can be a problem that some people may not like to deal with. There are over 50 types of MS and with there being so many types there are going to be so many complications living with it. Concentration and memory are major problems with MS because it effects your brain and spinal cord. People with MS generally have a lot more trouble going to school then the average human, often times as students we take advantage of just being able to show up remember what our homework is and be done. Having MS puts a lot more complications on things not only is it hard for them to sit for prolonged periods they have to learn and try to retain the information which makes it extremely hard for them. With having an autoimmune deficiency comes a lot of problems as I mentioned before. Not being able to socialize like the aver kid also puts a lot of stress on them. All these factors plus more can lead to depression, and having depression piled on with MS can be extremely overwhelming. In some cases if you try and take medication to prevent depression is can counter it and make you more depressed because MS directly effects the brain. Depression can develop as a direct result of MS, occurring when the part of the brain that regulates emotions is attacked and damaged.

Kristen - Article on new treatment for MS Dealing with Multiple Sclerosis can be tough. You know about the disease, so now what? There are many new treatments and ways available through new research that can help to slow down this life threatening disease and help turn the damage done around. As it currently stands there are no new treatments that target the immune responses responsible for multiple sclerosis. Most treatments try to block the immune response from attacking the myelin sheath. While this is good and they only have the potential help to slow down the destruction caused by multiple sclerosis, they do not help to repair what damage has already been done. As a result they do not help cure multiple sclerosis. Fortunately, new research stem cell research directed at The University of Cambridge is conducting a study to possibly treat the MS disease by using a stem cell called mesenchymal. This type of stem cell derives from the adipose tissue found in our own bodies. Mesenchymal stem cells have an immune regulatory property that is thought to help stop the immune attack on the myelin sheath. Mesenchymal stem cells may also potentially re-generate the myelin in the myelin sheath of the affected neurons. There are tests done on the patient to remove the adipose tissue and to then separate the mensenchymal stem cells and the T regulatory cells from the tissue. A simple liposuction is done to remove the tissue itself by a certified plastic surgeon. Once this is done, they test for quality, bacterial contamination, and endotoxin of the mesenchymal cells. The treatment itself cannot be given until one week after the liposuction was done. The wound from the surgery needs time to heal or the stem cells will tend to migrate back to the original site. After one week of healing, the stem cells can be given and the process of potentially reversing MS can take place. http://www.cellmedicine.com/treatment/multiple-sclerosis/?gclid=COXy4P6um6wCFQyFQAod2VhXRA

Kristen Article 2- BEE VENOM

Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. is conducting a new scientific study for a possible treatment for Multiple Sclerosis symptoms. The interest of this study came from the popular outburst of the specific treatment as an alternative method from the normal interferon, corticosteroids, and other drugs typically used. This method is known as Bee Venom Therapy (BVT). Apitherapy, or the medical use of honeybee products that range from royal jelly to bee venom, has been used for many centuries to aid in the cure for a plethora of ailments including chronic pain, skin conditions, arthritis, ext. The current purpose behind BVT in the medical field is to use the stings from live bees to relieve the symptoms caused my MS. When your body gets stung with a bee’s venom, it stimulates the immune system to release natural anti-inflammatory chemicals to the infected area. In this way, the potential outcome of the therapy is to increase the body’s natural ability to healing inflammation which will then aid in the process of treating the symptoms of MS. There are certain precautions one should take before considering this as a treatment. Tests should be done prior to actual treatment as to whether or not one has a possible allergy to bees. If this precaution has not been acknowledged and determined before the treatment, the outcome to the therapy may be serious or fatal. More than 10,000 are known to be providing this therapy and thousands of patients have been known to use this alternate approach for the aid in the healing of MS symptoms. Unfortunately it has not been proven yet that this form of treatment for MS actually helps to prevent the symptoms of the disease. It is debated whether or not bee venom therapy should be considered a possible treatment for MS.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/tests-treatment/bee-sting-therapy-and-ms.htm