Men or women are more likely to have MS? correct answers Women
Women are 2-3x more likely to get MS
MS is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of? correct answers 25-35 y.o.
MS has the highest prevalence in which geographic areas? correct answers North America and
Europe (caucasians of northern ancestry)
Describe the relationship between MS and proximity to the equator correct answers Lower
incidence in locations closer to the equator (Asia/South America)
Higher prevalence in locations far from the equator (North America/Europe)
True or False: MS can be diagnosed with 1 single test correct answers False
What is the etiology for MS? correct answers Largely unknown but likely multi-factorial -
abnormal autoimmune response to infection/environmental trigger in a *genetically susceptible*
person
1. Environmental factors (lack of vitamin D far from the equator)
2. Genetic Factors (not hereditary but having family members or siblings with MS increases risk
factors)
3. Infectious Factors (many virus's are known to cause demyelination, but none are proven to
cause MS)
, Which immune cell has increased frequency in MS plaques compared to healthy control tissue?
correct answers T cells
They generally affect CNS myelin.
What is MS? correct answers Chronic, progressive disease characterized by recurring bouts of
inflammation in the central nervous system resulting in acute demyelination of axons (affects
mostly white matter, but some gray matter involvement too)
What is the McDonald Dx Criteria? correct answers McDonald Criteria: Definitive MS diagnosis
requires all 3.
1. Dissemination in time: Two or more distinct attacks
2. Dissemination in space: two or more lesions in the CNS
3. Exclusion of other diagnoses
(some are able to get dx. with clinically isolated syndrome only with additional criteria)
Purpose of using MRI for assisting in making a diagnosis of MS correct answers To detect
plaque caused by myelin destruction, as well as cerebral and spinal cord atrophy.
(The imaging doesn't always correlate with the clinical progression or disease progression.)
T1-weighted MRI scans are used to detect what in MS? correct answers Areas of active, acute
inflammation
T2-weighted MRI scans are used to detect what in MS? correct answers Areas of old and new
lesions.
The T2 lesion load = disease burden (change in volume & # of lesions)
[Enhancement with gadolinium ~ BBB breakdown, as seen with inflammatory lesions such as
demeylinating plaques]