Eye Scan May Hold Key to MS Tracking

A promising study has appeared in the Jan. 1 edition of the online journal Neurology. Researchers at John Hopkins University School of Medicine have been testing a simple in-office procedure to see if it can reveal the progression of multiple sclerosis. For more information about this devastating illness, you may want to consult a multiple sclerosis book.

The study, which is very encouraging, has demonstrated that it may be possible to monitor MS patient health via a very simple eye scan. This is a non-invasive scan that can be done in a regular doctor’s office. It could be done at each visit, charting the progress of the disease or the benefits of certain drugs.

The Study’s Findings

Essentially the eye scan can measure retinal thinning. In significant numbers, those with relapses showed more retinal thinning that those without relapses. In addition, those patients who already had inflammatory lesions showed greater retinal thinning. Those with new T2 lesions also showed faster retinal thinning. In short, if the person’s health was declining in any way, the eye scan helped to reveal it.

One of the most important findings may be that those who have had the disease longer often showed lessened signs of retinal thinning. This would imply that the problem is worse in the early, active years of the disease.

National Reaction

Prominent doctors and researchers reportedly have been optimistic about the possible applications. These include monitoring the illness itself and monitoring the effectiveness of MS drugs. A multiple sclerosis book can explain more about the many different ways doctors are trying to deal with the difficult problem of Multiple Sclerosis and its many negative effects on the human body.

Statistical Analysis

According to the Neurology article, some 164 patients took part in the study for 21 months. Since this is not a large sample, the actual statistics cannot be declared conclusive, but the numbers do seem promising for this new monitoring technique.

Here, in summary, are the statistics released by researchers. The rates are in comparison with those patients who did not have the problem listed. During relapses, patients had retinal thinning at a 42 percent faster rate. Those with inflammmatory lesions showed retinal thinning at a 54 percent faster rate. Those with new lesions had a 36 percent faster rate of thinning. Newer patients had a 43 percent rate of thinning when compared to patients who had struggled with MS for longer than five years.

Multiple Sclerosis

MS is an auto-immune disease that can cause multiple attacks on multiple parts of the human body, but it can also manifest itself in mild ways. For a small percentage of patients, MS can take away their ability to walk, speak or perform simple tasks. Getting the disease symptoms under control is the purpose of current drug therapies. Due to the wide-ranging symptoms, the disease is often difficult to diagnose. There is no cure. For more information, consult a multiple sclerosis book.