• Age, usually more common in young adults
• Sex, more common in women
• Viral infections, such as the Epstein-Barr virus, which cause Infectious Mononucleosis. A study published recently by Harvard researchers in the journal Science has shown a high relationship between the risk of multiple sclerosis and being a carrier of EBV.
• Higher prevalence in countries farther away from the equator, also associated with low vitamin D levels
• Smoking

Neurological symptoms manifested with Multiple Sclerosis are truly diverse, hence it is known as “the disease of a thousand faces”. Symptoms vary greatly from patient to patient depending on the affected area. The most common:

• Loss of strength or sensation in an arm or leg
• Poor coordination
• Dizziness
• Speech problems
• Intestinal disorders
• Urinary incontinence
• Fatigue
• Visual problems
• Spasms, tremor
• Cognitive difficulties, brain fog

At the moment, we do not have any drugs to cure the disease or repair existing lesions. However, disease-modifying drugs substantially improve the patient’s quality of life by preventing further attacks and preventing new lesions from being found on head MRI, delaying progression to disability. Hence the importance of early diagnosis so that treatment can be started as soon as possible.

There are currently numerous treatments. It is from the field of neurology where the best and most advanced therapies have been developed over the last 15 years.

The following groups of drug treatments may be prescribed:

• Disease-modifying treatments
• Treatment of acute attacks or episodes
• Treatment of symptoms

The treatment of attacks consists mainly of high-dose oral or intravenous corticosteroids seeking an anti-inflammatory effect to reduce neuroinflammation and control the patient’s symptoms during an acute attack.

Within disease modifying treatments, there are currently more than fifteen approved drugs. These include immunomodulators such as Interferon beta-1a and Interferon beta-1b, glatiramer acetate, monoclonal antibodies natalizumab, ocrelizumab and alemtuzumab, immunosuppressants such as cladribine, mitoxantrone and azathioprine, and oral immunomodulatory agents such as fingolimod, teriflunomide, dimethyl fumarate, laquinimod, fampridine, siponimod and ozanimod.

Drug tolerance and methods of administration have greatly improved. Treatment is chosen individually, based on patient characteristics, lifestyle, preferences, and the type of Multiple Sclerosis, with a wide variety of drugs available.

These drugs represent a promising future in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Moreover, recent advances in research could mean a shift in disease approach, orientated toward preventative measures including a possible vaccine against the Epstein-Barr virus which is already being developed.