Health Center - Brain and Nervous System
Brain and nervous system problems can affect one's central command system, potentially impairing memory and the ability to perform daily activities. Learning to live with or supporting someone with a neurological condition is challenging. We're here to help. Learn about the symptoms, causes, prevention and treatment of these disorders.
Drug Widely Used to Treat MS May Not Slow Progression
But study didn't look at interferon beta's effect on quality of life, disease flares
By Jenifer Goodwin
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) -- Interferon beta, a widely used treatment for multiple sclerosis, does not stave off the time to disability, new research finds.
However, prior studies have found that interferon beta does reduce MS flare ups, so patients should continue taking it, researchers said.
The new study is published in the July 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In multiple sclerosis, the body's immune system attacks myelin, or the substance that insulates nerve fibers of the central nervous system. The damage disrupts nerve signals traveling to and from the brain, which can lead to numbness, movement difficulties, blurred vision, fatigue and eventually, problems with thinking and memory.
About 85 percent of those with multiple sclerosis start with a relapsing-remitting course, in which attacks are followed by partial or total recovery, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. More than half go on to develop a more progressive form of the disease, in which symptoms worsen over time and there are fewer, shorter periods without symptoms. Over time, the disease can lead to loss of vision and paralysis.
