Simple OCT eye scan can reveal MS progression
A new study has found that a simple eye scan might be able to reveal the earliest signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) damage in patients with the debilitating disease.
According to the report published in the journal Neurology, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) can easily monitor MS patients.
The eye scan measures the thickness of retina, the lining at the back of the eye, and can be easily performed in a few minutes.
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who conducted a trial involving 164 MS patients, found that those with thinning of their retina had both earlier and more active forms of the disease.
The team, however, said larger trials with a long follow up are still needed to judge how useful the test might be in everyday practice.
MS is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, causing problems with muscle movement, balance and vision.
MS is caused by damage to the myelin sheath, the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. When this nerve covering is damaged, nerve signals slow down or stop.
The nerve damage is caused by the inflammation that the body's own immune cells create by attacking the nervous system.
Monitoring MS can be difficult because it has a varied course and can be unpredictable.
Scientists believe OCT can be useful in monitoring MS, because it measures the thickness of nerve fibers housed in the retina.
Since retina nerve cells have no protective myelin coat, experts believe they might be able to show the earliest signs of MS damage.
"As more therapies are developed to slow the progression of MS, testing retinal thinning in the eyes may be helpful in evaluating how effective those therapies are," said study author Dr. Peter Calabresi.
There is no known cure for multiple sclerosis, but there are therapies that may slow the disease by controlling the symptoms and helping the patient maintain a normal quality of life.
Source: presstv.ir
