Read more about multiple sclerosis research. – Back to top – What causes symptoms in MS?
• MS symptoms result from inflammation and breakdown of myelin, the protective coating surrounding nerve fibers of the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). Myelin is often compared to the insulating material around an electrical wire; loss of myelin interferes with the transmission of nerve signals. The loss of myelin is referred to as demyelination. MS is one of several demyelinating diseases. • Myelin is destroyed and myelin repair is prevented by the formation of scars of hardened “sclerotic” tissue. These are called plaques, and they can appear in multiple places within the brain and spinal cord, hence the name multiple sclerosis.
