Neuroimmunology and Demyelinating Disorders
Our clinic specializes in a wide spectrum of inflammatory demyelinating disorders. One of the most common demyelinating disorders is multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system triggered by both genetic and environmental risk factors. It affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves of pediatric MS patients. Symptoms range from numbness or weakness in the limbs to vision loss or trouble with bowel and bladder function. Everyone’s experience with MS is different; some have mild disease while others have more advanced disease.
The center typically diagnoses MS based on a combination of clinical symptoms, findings, and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spinal cord. In some cases, testing for factors in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid contributes to the diagnosis. Nearly a million people are living with MS in the United States; about 5 percent of these individuals developed the disease during childhood.
As an official site of the U.S. Network of Pediatric MS Centers, we participate in exciting projects, from identifying new risk factors for the disease to developing new treatment options. MS treatment involves three key components after diagnosis: disease-modifying therapies, which typically modulate immune system function to prevent further MS activity; symptom management, including therapies for pain, fatigue, weakness, and stiffness; and wellness promotion, consisting of exercise, diet, and lifestyle modifications.
In addition to pediatric MS, we evaluate other related disorders that can mimic MS, such as MOG-antibody associated disease (MOGAD), acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), transverse myelitis, and optic neuritis. At our center for pediatric patients, we use immune-based disease-modifying therapies to limit the acute attacks of MS and prevent further damage to the brain, spinal cord, or optic nerves. These advanced therapies aim to prevent the immune system from attacking the nerve cells of pediatric MS patients.