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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disorder that affects the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). The disease process results in inflammation and damage to myelin (insulation for nerve fibers) and other cells within the nervous system. Because myelin aids the conduction of nerve signals, damage to myelin results in impaired nerve signaling and may impair normal sensation, movement, and thinking. This damage occurs in patches that appear as distinct lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)—the use of magnetic fields to create detailed images of the body. The patches cause different symptoms, depending on their location within the nervous system.

Multiple sclerosis primarily affects adults, with an age of onset typically between 20 and 50 years, and is more common in women than in men. The cause of this disorder is not known, but environmental, viral, and genetic factors are thought to play a role. The . . . [Full Text of this Article]

SYMPTOMS

Sarah Ringold, MD, Writer; Cassio Lynm, MA, Illustrator; Richard M. Glass, MD, Editor

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