Multiple Sclerosis
Screening and Diagnosis
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can be difficult to diagnose. Many other conditions may produce symptoms similar to Multiple Sclerosis (MS), but with a different prognosis and treatment.
There are no specific tests for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Ultimately, the diagnosis relies on a determination that the clinical symptoms, radiological studies and laboratory studies suggest MS, and that no other condition provides a better explanation for them. Your doctor may base a Multiple Sclerosis (MS) diagnosis on the following:
- Medical history. Your doctor reviews your signs and symptoms and their pattern.
- Neurological examination. This exam tests various parts of your nervous system, including your reflexes, muscle strength, muscle tone, and sensations of pain, heat, touch and vibration. Your doctor may also observe your gait, posture, coordination and balance, and ask you questions to help determine the clarity of your thinking, judgment and memory.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The cylinder shaped MRI scanner creates tissue-slice images on a computer from data generated by a powerful magnetic field and radio waves. Your doctor can view these images from any direction or plane.
This imaging technique may reveal MS lesions, which are caused by myelin loss. An intravenous dye, gadolinium, will highlight "active" lesions that have developed within the past two months and this may help doctors know whether the MS is in an active phase, even if no symptoms are present indicating an attack of MS. Newer MRI techniques can provide even greater detail about the degree of nerve fiber injury or permanent myelin loss and recovery.
- Spinal tap (lumbar puncture). In this procedure, a doctor or nurse removes a small sample of cerebrospinal fluid from within your spinal canal for laboratory analysis. This sample can show abnormalities associated with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), such as abnormal levels of white blood cells or proteins. This procedure can also help rule out viral infections and other conditions that can cause neurological symptoms similar to those of MS.
- Evoked potential test. This test measures the electrical signals sent by your brain in response to stimuli. An evoked potential test may use visual stimuli or electrical stimuli, in which short electrical impulses are applied to your legs or arms.
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