Botox Treatments to Ease Bladder Problems in People with MS
There is a new research that demonstrated how Botox injections to the bladder may help relieve bladder problems usually experienced by people suffering form multiple sclerosis or MS. This research, which was funded by the MS Society of UK, was made at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in the UK.
In the said research study, 43 patients suffering from multiple sclerosis and who were also experiencing bladder problems were treated with botulinum neurotoxin type A bladder muscle injections. The said injections helped reduce involuntary contractions in the bladder and so helped in reducing the urgency and the frequency of urination in the test subjects.
Incontinence and other bladder problems are common for people who are suffering from multiple sclerosis. Usually the storage and the emptying processes involved in the bladder is disrupted and therefore is a cause for worry and distress for many multiple sclerosis sufferers. Not being able to “hold on” or urgency in urination is one of the troubling circumstances that MS sufferers find themselves in.
Botox injections in the bladder, as shown by the research has demonstrated how such a treatment may be able to provide significant improvements to incontinence as well as urgency problems that most MS sufferers may experience. The effect of the treatment was seen to last for 10 months and repeat treatments showed similar results.
According to Professor Clare Fowler, a consultant in Uro-Neurology at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, the study was a part of a research investigation and the said treatment is not yet widely available. The said treatment has not yet been licensed and it may take a few more years pending an ongoing study to further understand and verify treatment results.
The said study has been valuable in trying to search for ways as to why such treatments work so well. It also provides a possible treatment making use of a minimally invasive injection technique to people with MS who also suffer from bladder problems as an eventual result of the said disease. Time will tell if this new treatment will be able to become a standard care for people with MS who might need it. An improved bladder control may be able to help MS sufferers with bladder problems lead an improved quality of life.
Source: http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=show&pageid=2338&CFID=5181811&CFTOKEN=57428268
Blood Brain Barrier: Possible Key to Finding MS Cures
A team of scientists consisting of international specialists have suggested a number of strategies in looking for treatments for a number of brain diseases including multiple sclerosis as well as Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke. One of the possible strategies that they found concerns the blood-brain barrier. The team believes that raising awareness in the study of the blood-brain barrier as an integral part of the disease process may someday help in finding a treatment for a variety of brain diseases, including multiple sclerosis.
The blood-brain barrier acts as the gate-keeper in the cells that protects the brain from toxins from the blood and lets in essential nutrients. The blood-brain barrier never chooses which foreign substances enter into the brain so it lock al of them out. Although acting as a safety measure for the brain, it can also lock out certain drugs from getting into the brain, making treatment of brain diseases difficult.
“The blood-brain barrier is woefully understood”, so says William Banks M.D., a professor of geriatrics, pharmacological and physiological science at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, and also a member of the international research team. “You can’t get drugs into the brain or understand brain disease without understanding the blood-brain barrier, which is among our most significant recommendations for future research.”
The team of scientists looks at the blood-brain barrier not as a brick wall that stops toxins but as a regulating interface between the brain and the rest of the body. There are times that the blood-brain barrier allows certain substances to pass through that shouldn’t and blocking others that should. Understanding the blood-brain barrier and how it works can help scientists understand certain brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
Much of Dr. Bank’s work revolves on understanding the function of the blood-brain barrier in the immune system. Bank’s further explained that the cells that make up the blood-brain barrier help the brain and the immune system communicate with each other. Damage to that communication system may affect the development of diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Changes that happen in the blood-brain barrier could shed light also into the injuries to the central nervous system as well as in the growth of tumors. Further understanding of the blood-brain barrier may require the use of state-of-the-art imaging devices to closely examine how the blood-brain barrier and the central nervous system interact.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218101237.htm
Drug Combo with Antibiotics May Slow MS Progression
A new study shows that adding antibiotics to medication used to treat multiple sclerosis may have an effect of slowing down the progression of the disease. According to a study that was on the online issue of the Archives of Neurology, a team of researchers from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport conducted a single center trial composed of 15 patients with relapsing-remitting MS.In the said trial, the team, headed by Dr Alireza Minagar, gave a 100 mg dose of the antibiotic doxycycline daily for four months in addition to the patients’ Interferon therapy. At each month of the trial each patient took a neurological exam as well as an MRI scan and blood tests to check the results. After four months, MRI scans from the trial subjects showed fewer lesions on the brain with 60 percent of them showing a 25 reduction in the number of lesions than were present at the start of the said study. In addition, the patients also showed lower scores on their disability tests.
Multiple sclerosis or MS is a debilitating disease that causes inflammation and degeneration of brain tissue. It is usually triggered by yet unidentified antigens as well as other agents. It also affects people that are genetically prone to developing the disease. The most common type of MS is known as relapsing-remitting MS where people experience sudden muscle weakness and spasms without any previous symptoms.
There is currently no known cure for MS. What treatment there is available is geared towards treating the symptoms caused by MS. Medication that is available to treat it include the drug Interferon which is a drug that boosts the immune system and helps the body fight viruses. This is usually taken as a therapy medication for those with relapsing-remitting MS. Interferon is not considered as a cure and does not prevent relapses of the disease or stop the development of new brain lesions.
The authors of the study further noted that the antibiotic doxycycline as well as others that belong to the tetracycline family may be helpful in combating MS as well as other types of inflammatory diseases by slowing down the enzymes that try to attack certain cells found in the nervous system.
They further added that there is a growing interest in developing a combination therapy in patients with MS to stabilize the clinical course, reduce the rate of relapses as well as slow down the progressive course of the disease. The authors also cautioned that further studies might be needed to ensure that the said treatment is safe for a larger number of patients with MS.
Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91379.php
Neurological Tests for MS
There are several neurological tests that are used to diagnose for multiple sclerosis. It may be quite unfortunate that there is no single test available that may diagnose multiple sclerosis in people. What doctors depend on is the results of a variety of neurological tests that might help give them the proper evaluation if indeed a person is suffering from multiple sclerosis or not.One of the key signs that doctors use to evaluate if a person has Ms is by checking for Optic Neuritis. It is an inflammation of the optic nerve in the retina that is followed by a demyelination or the degeneration of myelin, the protective fatty protein which acts as a shield to nerve cells.
Optic Neuritis may bring about blurring of vision, loss of some color vision, complete or partial blindness as well as pain behind the eye. Optic Neuritis is one of the symptoms frequently experienced by people developing multiple sclerosis. A test called Visually Evoked Potential Test or VEP is used to detect the speed of nerve transmissions through the optic nerve. It is also an effective diagnostic test for optic neuritis.
The Babinski reflex is also a test usually used for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. This test involves stroking a pointed object at the outside sole of the foot from heel to toe. The normal response is for the toes to curl downwards. People with neurological problems located at the corticospinal tract would have their big toes curling upwards instead. There is another test used also to detect lesions in the corticospinal tract. It is known as the Hoffman’s sign where the neurologist taps the nail of a person’s third or fourth finger. A positive response is given when the terminal phalanx of the thumb flexes.
Another neurological test used for diagnosing Ms is the Doll’s Eye Sign. In this test, the doctor is looking for the dissociation between the movement of the head and the eyes. A positive response is seen when the eyes moves up while the head moves down. Sensory tests are also used to diagnose other neurological symptoms of MS. This is done with the use of tuning forks and pins to test the different levels of sensory perception in selected parts of the body.
Other tests used by doctors in diagnosing for multiple sclerosis include tests for muscle strength which involves the level of resistance of the different muscle groups. Differences in the strength of the left and the right sides are evaluated. Tests for hearing loss are also part of the series of tests for multiple sclerosis. This can be done by the doctor clicking his fingers next to each ear of the patient and having him locate where the sound comes from.
Diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is not an easy disease to diagnose. The fact that some of the symptoms it may exhibit can also be similar to some other types of ailments.There are some instances that a condition having MS-like symptoms can be nothing more than some other stress related disorders. There are certain conditions that might imitate common MS symptoms. This can make it difficult for doctors to make an accurate after only a single test.
Currently, there is no single test available that may help provide an accurate diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. In properly diagnosing if one suffers from multiple sclerosis, neurologists depend on studying a patient’s medical history along with a thorough neurological examination wherein the function of the brain and the spinal cord is tested using various methods.
There are a number of neurological tests that doctors use in order to diagnose the onset of multiple sclerosis. There is what is called the Romberg’s sign wherein doctors test for ataxia or the clumsiness of movement not attributed to muscular weakness. This is usually done by letting the patient stand with the eyes closed.
Ataxia can also be evaluated in the different parts of the body through observation of the patient walking normally. Tests such as walking heel to toe as well as with finger to nose may be done to observe involuntary shaking or clumsiness which may be a possible symptom of multiple sclerosis. There is also the heel/shin test for ataxia. This test is also used for detecting cerebellar dysfunction. This is done by lifting the ball of the heel and bringing it towards the knee of the other leg and moved down towards the shin.
Another test used by doctors to diagnose multiple sclerosis is the L’Hermitte’s sign. This is a test used to find lesions on the spinal cord in the neck area. The L’Hermitte’s sign actually describes the sensation of electrical buzzing in the limbs and body brought about by neck movements. The electrical buzzing sensations experienced are also called paraesthesia and may include tingling, partial numbness and sharp pains.
This can be triggered by lowering the head so the chin touches the chest area. The sensation may only last a couple of seconds but it may indicate that there may be lesions in the cervical spine. Neck movements may cause the damaged nerves to stretch and send out erroneous signals to the brain causing the electrical buzzing sensation.
The L’Hermitte’s sign can be linked to multiple sclerosis although it can also be associated with a number of other conditions such as arthritis, disc compression, or possible tumors. This test alone cannot solely tell if one has multiple sclerosis but should be used with a number of other tests in order to have a more accurate diagnosis.
