Technology aids MS detection, but diagnosis still challenging

The use of MRIs to map the condition of the central nervous system has been helpful in identifying the illness.

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. July 14, 2008.

Washington -- Multiple sclerosis is beginning to reveal some of its secrets to the researchers who study the disease that plays havoc with the central nervous systems of about 400,000 Americans.

Although its cause remains elusive, a possible scenario for its development includes a genetic predisposition that may be influenced by infectious agents and environmental factors, said researchers at a June 24 Capitol Hill briefing.

The event was sponsored by the Society for Women's Health Research and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

About 20% of people with MS have a family history of the disease, said Henry McFarland, MD, chief of neuroimmunology at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Studies comparing identical twins and fraternal twins have offered evidence of the disease's genetic component. According to researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, the risk for developing MS when one twin has the disease is 2% for an unaffected fraternal twin and between 25% and 30% for an identical twin. But findings also point to a strong environmental influence because only a minority of genetically identical twins are both affected with MS.

The disease is generally more common among people of Northern European descent, and some populations have a very low incidence. For example, although MS is rare among Hungarian Gypsies, it is relatively common among other Hungarians, Dr. McFarland said.