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.
Prevalence of Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis or MS is a disease that targets the central nervous system, which means basically your brain and spinal column. The disease damages the myelin sheath that surrounds and protects the nerve cells.
Because of the damage, the nerve cells are not able to send properly and effectively messages between the body and the brain. This results to a number of problems including weakening of the muscles, depression, visual problems, difficulties with speech, sensations of numbness, trouble with coordination and balance, and thinking and memory problems.
The main cause of the disease has yet to be determined as well as an existence of a cure. There are medications and therapies that will slow down the progress of the disease and help control the symptoms but a full blown cure does not exists. But despite these conditions, people with MS have almost the same life expectancy as those without the disease.
It is estimated that the world has about 1.11 to 2.5 million cases of MS. In the U.S. alone, the number of people who have been diagnosed with MS ranges from 250,000 to 350,000. Among the states that have the highest cases of the disease are Vermont, Washington, Minnesota, Wyoming, and Montana & Idaho.
Northern USA belongs to the list of high frequency zones where MS is found to occur at 50-120 per 100,000 population. Countries also included in the list are Europe, Canada, Russia, Israel, New Zealand and South-East Australia. The prevalence signifies that the disease is more likely to occur in temperate climates than in tropical regions.
Western Europe is said to have 350,000 cases of MS. Meanwhile, Canada estimated that about 50,000 people have MS in their country with Alberta having the highest rates at 313 incidence per 100,000 population and followed by British Columbia at 93 cases per 100,000 population.
Other European countries that face a rather high prevalence rates of MS cases include Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Spain and Swtizerland.
A recent study also found out that the ratio of women to men with MS is 4 to 1 in the year 2000, an increase from the 2 to 1 female to male ratio way back in the 1930s.
Moreover, most of the cases of MS manifests between the ages of 20 and 40. It seems that the age of 15 is the minimum age before for the symptoms of MS to occur. There have been very few reported cases where MS began to manifest itself in patients aged 15 or younger.
MS was first identified by the French neurologist, Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot way bad, in 1868. And since then, medical science has advanced a lot. But it was only about 10 to 15 years ago that the they were able to make a breakthrough in MS treatments. They found out that beta interferon 1b (Betaseron) was effective in the treating patients with a “relapsing, remitting” form of MS.
