MS and Encephalopathies Flashcards
True or false? MS is directly inherited
False; there is a genetic component, but having a parent with MS does not mean that the child will have MS
Complex inheritance pattern. Not direct inheritance.
What does MS affect?
- White matter (brain and spinal cord)
- New research suggests it affects gray matter also (to some degree)
3 key pathologies of MS?
- Autoimmune
- Inflammatory
- De-myelinating
Describe your “typical” MS patient
- Age: 15-45 years
- Gender: 70% women
- Red High risk=further away from equator (northern US and Canada).
Theory: maybe vitamin D disease
Sources of symptoms: Cerebellum involvement for MS. What are the symptoms?
- Tremor
- Ataxia
Sources of symptoms: Brain stem involvement for MS. What are the symptoms?
- Diplopia
- Vertigo
- Dysarthria
- Internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO)
- Bladder dysfunction
- Sensory symptoms
- Lhermitte’s: condition where flexion of neck causes electric shock like feeling
- Pain
- Proprioception
Sources of symptoms: white matter in frontal lobe involvement for MS. What are the symptoms?
- Cognitive loss
- Emotional disinhibition
Sources of symptoms: CN II involvement for MS. What are the symptoms?
- If CNII involved, Optic neuritis
condition where flexion of neck causes electric shock like feeling
Lhermitte’s
What are the top 6 most common presenting symptoms for MS?
Symptoms vary widely in incidence and severity
- Paresthesias in arms/legs (33%)
- Monocular blindness (16%)
- Multiple symptoms at onset (14%)
- Slowly progressive motor deficit (9%)
- Diplopia (7%)
- Acute motor deficit (5%)
- Others–remainder
Patient presents with MS and has the below symptoms. Where in the brain are the symptoms from?
- Tremor
- Ataxia
Cerebellum
Patient presents with MS and has the below symptoms. Where in the brain are the symptoms from?
- Diplopia
- Vertigo
- Dysarthria
- Internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO)
- Bladder dysfunction
- Sensory symptoms
- Lhermitte’s: electric shock like condition
- Pain
- Proprioception
Brain stem
Patient presents with MS and has the below symptoms. Where in the brain are the symptoms from?
- Cognitive loss
- Emotional disinhibition
white matter in frontal lobe
Patient presents with MS and has the below symptoms. Where in the brain are the symptoms from?
- Optic neuritis
CNII involved
The worsening of neurologic symptoms in MS when the body gets overheated from exposure to heat, fever, hot water, exercise, menstruation, or saunas and hot tubs.
Uhthoff’s phenomenon
What factor may worsen the neurologic symptoms of MS for a patient?
HEAT: think fever, hot water, exercise, menstruation, saunas, hot tubs
Which other symptoms are included as “other common MS symptoms”?
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Focal muscle weakness bowel/bladder/sexual dysfunction
- Gait problems/spaticity
- Lhermitte sign: condition where flexion of neck causes electric shock like feeling
What can patients with MS expect with regard to relapses?
Average of 1 relapse per year, fewer over time
Should a patient with MS expect to lose their ability to perform activities of daily living? Or expect to be severely disabled within a short time?
- ADLs: 25% never lose ability to perform ADLs. Thus, 75% unable to perform ADLs.
- Severly disabled: 15% become severely disabled within a short time. 85% do not.
Is MS likely to be the primary cause of mortality?
No
Disability scoring EDSS (expanded disability status score):
- Approximately how long to reach 6 (need assistance to walk)?
- To reach 8 (restricted to wheelchair at 7, helpless bed patient at 9)?
EDSS: score 0 (normal)-10 (death)
- 15 years
- 46 years
Define Relapse per MS
- Appearance of new/worsening of old symptom
- Symptoms last at least 24 hours, but usually weeks or months
- Could be attributed to MS activity
- Preceded by stability or improvement for at least 30 days
What does this qualify as with regard to MS?
- Appearance of new/worsening of old symptom
- Symptoms last at least 24 hours, but usually weeks or months
- Could be attributed to MS activity
- Preceded by stability or improvement for at least 30 days
Relapse of MS
What does this qualify as with regard to MS?
- Worsening by 1.0 point on EDSS (or by 0.5 points if EDSS greater than/equal to 5.5)
- Confirmed at 2 consecutive visits spaced 3 months apart
Progression
Define characteristics of progression per MS
- Worsening by 1.0 point on EDSS (or by 0.5 points if EDSS greater than/equal to 5.5)
- Confirmed at 2 consecutive visits spaced 3 months apart
Identify the clinical subtype of MS
- Most common
- Feel normal at baseline
- Have symptoms for 24-few months
- Return to baseline, then will relapse again
- Over time, fewer and fewer relapses
Relapsing-remitting
Identify the clinical subtype of MS
- What happens to relapsing-remitting throughout time
- Baseline, have symptom, have relapses
- Instead of relapses, have disease progression instead
Secondary progressive
Identify the clinical subtype of MS
- Have neurological dysfunction
- continue to have symptoms
- Never return to baseline; keep accumulating disability and symptoms
Primary Progressive
Identify the clinical subtype of MS
IGNORE IGNORE IGNORE; this one is controversial
Progressive-relapsing
IGNORE IGNORE IGNORE; this one is controversial
What are the 3 clinical subtypes of MS?
IGNORE IGNORE IGNORE PROGRESSIVE-RELAPSING: controversial
What is the most common subtype of MS?
Relapsing - remitting (82%)
The other remainder: primary progressive
What is likely to happen to a patient with relapsing-remitting MS over time?
Will likely develop the MS subtype secondary progressive (58% of patients)
Which is the most aggressive subtype form of MS?
Primary progressive
Describe the natural progression of MS
What determines a FAVORABLE prognosis for MS?
- Younger age at onset
- Female
- Low MRI lesion load
- Complete recovery from 1st relapse
- Low relapse rate
- No disability at 5 years
What determines UNFAVORABLE prognosis in MS?
- Older age
- Male
- High MRI lesion load
- Lack of complete recovery from 1st relapse
- High relapse rate
- Early development of disability
- Insidious motor onset
- African Americans
What causes MS?
- We don’t know
- In MS, T-cells recognize myelin as antigen
- Then, they launch attacks on myelin and nerve fibers (including axons)
- Result: obstructs nerve signals
What pathology results in permanent neurological dysfunction in MS patients?
Axonal injury and destruction
What is the result of the demyelination pathology of MS?
- Slower nerve conduction
- Body does try to heal and will remyelinate, but unable to fully heal and have as much myelin as before. Only heals a little bit
Where do MS lesions occur?
- Optic nerves
- Periventricular white matter
- Cerebral cortex
- Brain stem
- Cerebellum
- Spinal cord
How do we diagnose MS? What is key for the diagnosis of MS?
- Clinical diganosis: no definitive laboratory test
- **Requires evidence of dissemination of lesions in space and time**
What are you able to see in the CSF from a lumbar puncture in MS?
What findings are very SENSITIVE for MS in CSF? (Not specific)
- Oligoclonal bands that are not present in the serum
- (95% positive in people with MS)
- Normal glucose, normal cells, Protein <100 mg/dl
- (98% in MS)