Impaired Cognitive Performance Occurs Within Children With Multiple Sclerosis ( Ms )

“I was 7 years old when the right side of my face went numb, and I started slurring my speech. I felt really sick with "the flu" and was so tired, I kept falling asleep in class. In gym class, I was running, and my legs suddenly jerked up, and I fell down. I couldn't move my legs or stand up. I got some feeling back and was able to walk in a robotic manner. This is an anonymous testimonial of a women that has been living her whole life with Multiple Sclerosis(and for the purpose of this essay will go by jane). “I spent two weeks in the hospital complaining about the "fishes eating my legs," and the wax paper over my right eye. Children didn't get MS back then[1977]. I spent years with neurologists saying, ‘We don't know what

Multiple sclerosis, also known as MS, is one of humankind’s most mysterious diseases. No one knows the exact cause and there is no exact treatment. Still multiple sclerosis has the ability to affect nearly 3 million people worldwide and at least 500,000 people in the United States (Boroch). This disease tends to be more common in individuals of northern European descent and women are more than twice as likely to develop multiple sclerosis as men. Of those 3 million people, most of them are between the ages of 20 and 50 years old (Dangond). Even though multiple sclerosis is a mystery disease, scientists are working to determine the exact cause and treatment.

Specific Speech Purpose: To provide my audience with information about MS and its life changing results.

When one has MS, many complications can occur. MS can lead to depression, and other mental changes such as forgetfulness or moodiness (Mayo Clinic Staff). It also can lead to epilepsy and paralysis. The loss of function and sensory may occur in the limbs. It also can prompt muscle stiffness or muscle spasms (Mayo Clinic Staff). Although there are many complications, the majority of the symptoms and complications of MS are not fatal. MS does not affect life expectancy, as much as the quality of one’s life (Madell,

MS is characterized by the destruction of myelin, inflammation in the CNS and the formation of lesions in the CNS.

MS is usually occurs at age of 15 to 55 with the average onset at about 30 years of age. Women are twice more likely than men to develop this debilitating autoimmune disease (Love, 2006). Due to the heterogeneity of the disease, where it can affects many sites of the CNS such as the brain cortex, brainstem, spinal cord as well as the optic nerve, thus the clinical symptoms of MS are widely ranged.

Having the disease multiple sclerosis can affect one's life tremendously. In the essay, "On Being A Cripple", the author Nancy Mairs suffers from the disease and has a love-hate relationship with it. Socially, it appears that although Mairs has the disease, she accepts it and does normal things like going on vacations with her family. However, personally, it's hard for her at times and she gets into a depressed state and wishes she didn't have the disease when she has a falling or an incident. Multiple Sclerosis, also referred to as “MS”, is a disease that can affect one's brain, spinal cord, and eyes.

The difference between having MS and not having it is that your body will not have scars or hardened tissues which effects the CNS. Affecting the CNS is massive as it is your brain and your spinal cord which makes all the decisions for your nervous system and without a fully functioning CNS, the person will have all the effects that was said in the previous paragraph (the effects of MS) which were things like not able to walk properly, numbness and the persons eyesight becoming

Multiple Sclerosis, commonly known as MS is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. Scientists have been studying MS since the 19th century. In MS, the body’s immune system produces cells and antibodies that attack myelin in your brain which is essential for the nerves in your brain and spinal cord to conduct electricity to perform its function. The attack on myelin results in vison loss, paralysis, numbness, muscle weakness, difficulty walking, stiffness, spasms, and bladder and bowel problems. MS has varying degrees of severity and affects people between the ages of 20-50, mostly women. Although there are treatments, there is no cause and cure yet.

Multiple Sclerosis, commonly referred to as MS, is an unpredictable disorder of the central nervous system, or CNS, and it is a chronic inflammatory disorder. MS is a disease that involves the immune system attacking the CNS. They myelin that covers and protects the nerve fibers is damaged, as well as the nerve fibers themselves. They myelin that is damaged forms scar tissue know as sclerosis. This is where the name of the disease came from. When the nerve fibers or myelin is damaged, the nerve fibers that travel to and from the spinal cord are distorted or interrupted this is why there is a variety of symptoms that can occur. Multiple Sclerosis affects rather young individuals, as young as twenty. It is most common in adults in their twenties

To scientists, this suggests that exposure to some environmental agent before puberty may cause a predisposition for MS later on in life. There is also evidence that suggests that vitamin D may play a role. This could explain the previous statement that MS occurs more frequently farther from the equator, since that area frequently receives more sunlight which aids in the synthesis of Vitamin D. This possibility is now being studied by a society-funded epidemiological study in Australia [2]. There is also the possibility that a virus earlier on in life may cause, or trigger, MS. Viruses are known to cause inflammation and a breakdown of myelin, so it is possible that a virus that breakdowns myelin may trigger MS. Viruses currently being researched are measles, Human Herpes Virus-6, and Epstein-Barr [3]. Genetically, several different genes are believed to have a role in MS. According the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, if one parent has Multiple Sclerosis, the risk of their child or children getting the same disease is approximately two to five percent [3].

Multiple Sclerosis affects more people than most would think. MS is an unpredictable disease that attacks the central nervous system but it is a difficult disease to diagnose due to multiple unknown factors. Each diagnosed case of MS is unique depending upon factors given by the patient. Understanding the different courses of Multiple Sclerosis, early diagnosis and the treatments of the disease all play an important role in bringing awareness of MS. Learning about Multiple Sclerosis can bring opportunities for patients, family and friends such as planned events like the MS Walk. For now there is no cure but raising awareness is the first step to finding one.

Individuals suffering from MS face continually worsening symptoms leading to progressing disability and early mortality. There is currently no cure and current treatments have negative impacts on the life of the individual receiving the treatment. The story of the discovery and understanding of the disease spans to almost two centuries of medical research and still there is much to understand. Autoimmune disorders are becoming more common in our society and it is crucial to understand the cause of these diseases and to develop better treatments. In the two centuries of research, the life expectancy of an individual with MS has increased dramatically. Upon diagnosis in the late 1800's and early 1900's individuals had an average life span of 10 years but today, due to advances in medical technologies, individuals with MS may live 30 years or more. More research is required to understand how to better treat this disease or prevent the initial autoimmune response from

The study involved 1,620 adults with MS and 2,788 people without multiple sclerosis. The neurologist in the unit assessed the cases to decide whether the patient had met the McDonald criteria. The study maintains that two controls were randomly selected for each prospective case obtained from the national population register, and were matched in accordance by age in “5-year strata, sex and residential

There is no doubt that genetics has revolutionized our understanding about the human diseases. Regarding MS; however, the practical application of these data has not been acquired yet. Gene screening for finding patients prone to MS, is neither ethical nor scientifically supported.