Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis
Multiple sclerosis symptoms differ from person to person, so it can not be diagnosed by a unique therapy or method. Multiple Sclerosis affects a person's central nervous system (CNS). It is also known as the Demyelinating disease. The communication between the spinal cord and the brain breaks due to multiple sclerosis. Young adults and females are mostly hosts of multiple sclerosis.
Diagnosing Multiple sclerosis needs detailed history of the patient based on the symptoms. However, this diagnosis is done using dome criteria, but that fail to prove cent percent successful.
Neurologists examine your symptoms before administering the Multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Most of the people who have go through the MS diagnosis, were suffering from other diseases such as brain infection, vitamin deficiency, multiple strokes or lupus. Hence, the neurologists must be careful about the patient's medical history before the diagnosis.
Multiple sclerosis diagnosis based on the medical history includes the imaging techniques such as MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), Evoked Potentials test and Spinal taps.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
MRI gives clear evidences of the changes occurred due to Multiple sclerosis in the spinal cord or deep parts of the brain. MRI also scans with gadolinium to identify the plaques and lesion in central nervous system. However, these plaques can also result from other neurological disorders. People who are suffering from high blood pressure and severe headache can experience the similar symptoms that we find in Multiple sclerosis.
Only symptoms are not enough to diagnose the MS tests. Recently, Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has been investigated to diagnose Multiple sclerosis. MRS provides the biochemistry information of brain.
Evoked Potentials Test
This test measures brain’s response to the sensory nerves and optic nerve. In MS, person's brain responds slowly to the stimulations of these nerves. It defines the movement of brain whether it is slow or fast. This test is also can not confirm the MS, as it lacks to investigate the causes of lesions in plaques.
Cerebro-Spinal Fluid Test
This test is to study the abnormalities of chemicals and cells in brain that suggests Multiple sclerosis. High amount of white blood cells and proteins cause these abnormalities. Physicians have to use various laboratory tests measure and present the protein level on graphs.
Spinal Tap
Spinal tap can be performed in Cerebro-spinal fluid examination, but is not necessary in most of the cases of MS. If the medical history confirms the MS, specialists recommend this test. This test detects the specific symptoms pattern i.e. oligoclonal bands. Like Cerebro-Spinal Fluid Test, spinal tap is also not 100% conclusive.
It is difficult to confirm MS from the primary symptoms, as many other viral infections also can cause the similar symptoms. Doctors have to study the changes in these symptoms that can relate to the characteristic symptoms of MS. After positive results from specific MS tests, diagnosis of MS is performed.
Most of the neurological lesions are found in the brains of people between 10-50 years. There are some other conditions in which similar MS symptoms can be found. For example, pernicious anemia, diabetes, spinocerebellar ataxias, neurosyphilis and diabetes can cause the MS like symptoms. Hence, researchers are working hard to investigate a definite test to identify MS. The lack of such test stretches the Multiple sclerosis diagnosis from months to years.
