The Early Identification of MS Symptoms with Clinical Treatment May Reduce Severe Effects of MS Through Time
In asking the question “What are the symptoms of MS?”, the one thing that is certain is that early treatment minimizes the chances of disease progression. A recent study by the MS research clinic at the University of Ottawa and the Ottawa Hospital determined that early detection is best when it comes to treating multiple sclerosis, their findings from a 3 year study show.
Once a patient has answered the question “What are the symptoms of MS?” you then must try to determine the proper course of treatment. "The investment in early treatment with the best dose is probably the best avenue for patients who present with the first clinical effect," said Dr. Mark Freedman, the lead author of the study and a professor of medicine and director of the MS research clinic at the University of Ottawa and the Ottawa Hospital.
In completing the study, the average patient began receiving interferon beta-ia treatment 58 days following their first symptoms. Patients in the alternate group received a placebo or were administered the same medicine starting later with lower frequency.After two years, researchers observed that the probability of developing clinically definite MS was 41% in the group that received the placebo. The group that received the early treatment only had a 27% chance of developing definite MS.
In diagnosing the cases of MS, doctors use a set of criteria called the McDonald criteria that are gauged using an MRI and are sensitive to changes in nerve tissue. Those patients who received early treatment were less likely to exhibit the McDonald criteria for an MS diagnosis, while an average of 72% of those in the other groups McDonald criteria Ultimately, the trial results were informative. When a patient begins asking the question “What are the symptoms of MS?” an early identification of MS can lead to reduced cases of severe effects of MS.
The onset of MS is uncertain and it's not known if environment contributes to what are the symptoms of MS.
