Multiple Sclerosis Research Paper

Words: 468
Pages: 2

Multiple Sclerosis or MS is a disease of the central nervous system. This occurs when the myelin around neurons are damaged. Myelin is the neuron’s protective covering and its source of insulation. Its presence is essential in the neuron’s ability to conduct electrical impulses that can send messages from the brain to other parts of the body and vice versa. MS is considered an autoimmune disease because evidences prove that the patient’s immune system attacks the neurons’ myelin.
The overall cause for the disease is still not known. Some propose that the disease might be affected by genetic factors. They believe that its significant occurrence in Caucasians and its rare occurrence in African Americans, Native Americans, and Asians are proofs that it is caused by genetic problems. Aside from these, some also believe that it is caused by environmental factors as well. This is due to the fact that Multiple Sclerosis is frequently diagnosed in places with temperate climates than those with tropical climates. Since the myelin damage disrupts the electrical impulses of the nerves, it becomes difficult for the brain to send messages throughout the body. Because of this, the patient might feel numbness or a
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Some doctors use lumbar puncture which is also known as spinal tap. In this procedure, they take samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the spinal cord in order to view if abnormalities are present in the CSF. This is because people with MS have high levels of damaged cells in their CSF. Furthermore, some doctors make their patients take evoked potentials (EP) tests. This particular test measures the brain’s electrical response to stimuli. The brain’s slow reaction time suggests that there is myelin damage in a particular area of the