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Family members with MS likely to share onset age, but not disease severity
January 30, 2007ST. PAUL, Minn — When more than one member of a family is affected by multiple sclerosis (MS), their ages at disease onset are likely to be similar, but disease severity may not be. These new findings have important implications for counseling patients, according to a study published in the January 30, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
"We've known for some time that family influence plays a role in whether you are susceptible to MS, but it has not been clear whether your family influence affects the course of the disease," according to lead study author Alastair Compston, PhD, of the University of Cambridge Clinical School in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
To address the question of family influence on the course of the disease, researchers examined data on 2,310 individuals from over 1,000 families in which at least two members had MS. They examined age at onset, disability, disease severity, and other features of the disease.
The researchers found that age at onset of the disease was similar among family members, whether comparing parents to children or siblings with each other. They also found that siblings tended to have the same pattern of disease progression, while there was no correlation between the pattern in parents and children.
The study also showed there was no correlation between the severity of the disease in one family member and severity in another member, whether siblings or parent and child. "Disease progression is often considered the indicator of severity," said Compston. "But, we found no evidence that disease severity is more likely to be similar between two family members with MS than two unrelated people with MS."
The causes of the similarities in onset and progression pattern are largely unknown, as are the causes of MS itself. It is possible that genetic factors are responsible, but environmental factors shared by family members may also play a role.
Compston says the study's findings have significant implications for counseling patients. "People should not draw personal conclusions for their own MS prognosis and expected disease severity from observing the condition of their relatives with MS," he said.
American Academy of Neurology
The researchers found that age at onset of the disease was similar among family members, whether comparing parents to children or siblings with each other. They also found that siblings tended to have the same pattern of disease progression, while there was no correlation between the pattern in parents and children.
The study also showed there was no correlation between the severity of the disease in one family member and severity in another member, whether siblings or parent and child. "Disease progression is often considered the indicator of severity," said Compston. "But, we found no evidence that disease severity is more likely to be similar between two family members with MS than two unrelated people with MS."
The causes of the similarities in onset and progression pattern are largely unknown, as are the causes of MS itself. It is possible that genetic factors are responsible, but environmental factors shared by family members may also play a role.
Compston says the study's findings have significant implications for counseling patients. "People should not draw personal conclusions for their own MS prognosis and expected disease severity from observing the condition of their relatives with MS," he said.
American Academy of Neurology
Multiple Sclerosis Current Events and Multiple Sclerosis News RSSMultiple health concerns surface as winter, vitamin D deficiences arrive
A string of recent discoveries about the multiple health benefits of vitamin D has renewed interest in this multi-purpose nutrient, increased awareness of the huge numbers of people who are deficient in it, spurred research and even led to an appreciation of it as "nature's antibiotic."
Factors from common human bacteria may trigger multiple sclerosis
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Drug studied as possible treatment for spinal injuries
Researchers have shown how an experimental drug might restore the function of nerves damaged in spinal cord injuries by preventing short circuits caused when tiny "potassium channels" in the fibers are exposed.
CSHL team solves structure of NMDA receptor unit that could be drug target for neurological diseases
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Men leave: Separation and divorce far more common when the wife is the patient
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Neurologists Investigate Possible New Underlying Cause of MS
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Scientists demonstrate link between genetic defect and brain changes in schizophrenia
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have found that the 22q11 gene deletion - a mutation that confers the highest known genetic risk for schizophrenia - is associated with changes in the development of the brain that ultimately affect how its circuit elements are assembled.
Gentle touch may aid multiple sclerosis patients
While gripping, lifting or manipulating an object such as drinking from a cup or placing a book on a shelf is usually easy for most, it can be challenging for those with neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's, or for people who had a stroke. For them, the tight gripping can cause fatigue, making everyday tasks difficult.
Urate in blood and spinal fluid may predict slower decline in patients with Parkinson's disease
Higher concentration of urate (an antioxidant) in the blood and spinal fluid of patients with early Parkinson's disease is associated with slower rates of clinical decline.
Oxidized form of a common vitamin may bring relief for ulcerative colitis
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