MacDonald Criteria Chart for Diagnosing MS
Diagnosing MS
The process of diagnosing MS can be a long and bumpy road. It can take extended periods of time and be highly frustrating when the symptoms are not very clear or exact. When diagnosing MS one of the main indicators that a conflict has occurred is the evidence of lesions in the central nervous system. There is not a specific test that can be taken to diagnose MS. MS can really only be diagnosed when other sources or explanations for the symptoms have already been excluded. Sometimes a physical examination can reveal symptoms that may make the doctor aware of regions of the body where lesions are located. At times there may be no symptoms to indicate or alert the doctor that there have been lesions in the central nervous system. In these specific cases when there appears or seems to be no symptoms MRIs, EPTs and rarely used lumbar puncture tests are used to further examine the patient.
Magnetic Resonance Image
MRI Scan
An MRI is a magnetic resonance image. An MRI’s function is to use high power magnetic fields to rearrange a person’s hydrogen atoms for the purpose of producing an image that shows the body’s interior function and structure. When referring specifically to MS an MRI may present an image of the lesions in the central nervous system and has the possibility to expose whether or not there has been any loss of brain volume that has taken place. When gadolinium is used alongside the MRI it becomes possible to view the potential swelling taking place in the central nervous system. Gadolinium is a metal as well as a chemical element. When gadolinium is injected into a patient’s circulatory system the blood travels in specific patterns and paths throughout the brain. Gadolinium is used to identify if there are any lesions by revealing if any leaks are present or that have occurred at different times.
Evoked Potential Test
EPT stands for an evoked potential test. The test consists of tiny electrodes being attached to various parts of the patient’s head and body. It also includes several different noises, shocks, and lights. This small variety of tests should then register in the central nervous system. This test calculates and records the speed of the movement of the nerve impulses to their correct section of the central nervous system. In MS the EPT can detect the movement of the nerve impulses is slowed due to the deterioration of the myelin.
Lumbar Puncture
Lastly, a test that is rarely used to diagnose MS because it is seen as obtrusive is lumbar puncture (LP), or sometimes otherwise known as a spinal tap. This test is usually conducted only if the other tests appear to have no results. During the process of this test a needle is injected into the spinal cord’s base in between the spinal cord and the central nervous system’s lining. The needle contains a miniscule measurement of cerebrospinal fluid. The fluid is then later examined for the occupation of proteins which are associated with being existent when swelling occurs in the central spinal system.