Study Shows That Multiple Sclerosis May Start in Brain’s Outer Layers

Multiple sclerosis (MS) may progress from the outermost layers of the brain to its deep parts and isn’t always an inside-out process, as previously thought, according to a collaborative study from researchers at the Mayo and Cleveland clinics. It’s long been understand that the disease begins in the white matter that forms the bulk of the brain’s inside and extends to involve the brain’s superficial layers, the cortex. New findings support an opposite, outside-in process, from the cerebrospinal fluid-filled subarachnoid space — which cushions the outside of the brain and the cortex — into the white matter. These findings will guide researchers as they seek to further understand and treat the disease. The study was published in the December issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers do not know exactly what causes MS, but it is considered an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys its own myelin. This fatty substance surrounds and protects axons, nerve cell projections that carry information; its damage slows down or blocks messages between the brain and body, leading to MS symptoms such as blindness, numbness, paralysis, and thinking and memory problems. For more information, click here to read the full release.