Understanding Multiple Sclerosis: A Case Study

Eric Canto
Dr. B
BIOL-2504
16 September 2016
Case Study 1-2
1. I would diagnose Lily with multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the brain and spinal cord—otherwise known as the central nervous system (CNS). In people with MS, their immune system mistakenly attacks the protective covering of all neurons, which is called the myelin sheath. When the myelin sheath is damaged, it forms a type of scar tissue called sclerosis—giving the disease its name. Since the myelin sheath is damaged, nerve impulses that travel to and from the CNS (brain and spinal cord) become distorted or interrupted. This causes major communication issues between the brain and the rest of the body—producing a variety of symptoms including dizziness, vertigo,

This means that the immune system is malfunctioning within the body (by mistakenly attacking the CNS), which is why it is appropriate for this term to be a possible cause. Studies have found what type of immune cells are responsible for attacking the CNS; T cells and possibly B cells—the major components of cellular adaptive immune response. Studies are still ongoing to find out more in depth information regarding the immunologic cause.
In the case of environmental factors, MS has been seen to occur more frequently in areas farthest from the equator. These studies are based on variations in geography, demographics, genetics, and migration patterns. People that are born in an area of a high risk for MS, and migrate thereafter, have a lower risk. Vitamin D can also play a role as a cause—considering that people who live close to the equator receive greater amounts of sunlight. In turn, these people are getting more natural vitamin D that supports immune function, which is effective in protecting against such immune-mediated disease such as

MRI uses magnetic fields and radio waves instead of radiation to measure the relative water content in tissues. The very strong magnetic field cause hydrogen protons in water to position themselves in line with the direction of the magnetic field, which is large enough to provide a strong imaging signal. The radio waves (and some weaker magnetic fields) are then used to displace the protons, so that when these radio waves stop, the protons return to a fixed position. When the protons relax and return to the lined position, they resonate signals that are transmitted to a computer. This relaxation time is measured in different ways depending on which scan is being used, and the computer translates that measurement into cross-sectional images of water in tissue. This is extremely helpful in diagnosing MS because myelin is a fatty substance that repels water, and in the areas where myelin has been damaged by MS (lesions), that fatty layer is gone—allowing those areas to obtain more water. Using what is called a “contract dye” allows the detection of lesions that are active or inactive throughout the