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From time to time, the idea of MS being a vascular disease crops up, and this study appears to show a significant correlation between blood flow, lesions and disability:

Intracranial venous haemodynamics in multiple sclerosis.
Zamboni P, Menegatti E, Bartolomei I, Galeotti R, Malagoni AM, Tacconi G, Salvi F.

Vascular Diseases Center, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. zmp@unife.it.

In multiple sclerosis (MS) plaques are known to be venocentric; in addition, MS lesions and peripheral venous disorders share a number of key features. To date, however, despite the anatomical relationship between MS lesions and the venous system, no information on the intracranial venous haemodynamics of MS is available. Eighty-nine consecutive MS patients (58 relapsing-remitting, 31 secondary progressive) matched with 60 controls underwent transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCS). We assessed, in supine as well as in sitting positions, the direction of flow at the activation of the thoracic pump in the deep middle cerebral veins (dMCVs), and in the transverse sinus (TS). In the dMCVs, we also measured peak systolic velocity (PSV), peak diastolic velocity (PDV), as well as the resistance index (RI). Reflux/bidirectional flow rate was significantly higher in the MS population determining also significant differences in PDV, characterized by negative values (16.2+/-1 cm/sec in controls vs. -1.3 +/-2.6 cm/sec in MS, respectively, p<0.0001). Consequently, RI was dramatically increased in the MS group, affecting impedance of cerebral venous drainage (0.48+/-0.04 in controls vs. 1.1 +/-0.08 in MS, respectively p<0.0001). Therefore, the detection of reflux directed toward the subcortical grey matter was significantly associated to highest disability scores (p < 0.0001). Our study of MS patients demonstrated significant haemodynamic alterations detected in veins anatomically related to plaque disposition. Our findings should contribute towards understanding the role of altered venous flow and tissue drainage in the MS inflammatory chain, as well as in the neurodegenerative process.

PMID: 18045150 [PubMed - in process]

Dom,

Great find. This makes sense. I wonder what they will do with this data?

Brock

PubMed wrote:Eighty-nine consecutive MS patients (58 relapsing-remitting, 31 secondary progressive) matched with 60 controls underwent transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCS).

I would of liked to see some CIS or very early MS people in the study to possibly help identify if it is a cause or an effect of MS.

CureOrBust wrote:

PubMed wrote:Eighty-nine consecutive MS patients (58 relapsing-remitting, 31 secondary progressive) matched with 60 controls underwent transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCS).

I would of liked to see some CIS or very early MS people in the study to possibly help identify if it is a cause or an effect of MS.

That would make it a lot more useful I think.

Definitely: whether it's the cause or effect of MS is a major question. I hope that this discovery of altered blood flow will prompt somebody to ask it,

The reason why blood pressure within the MS brain is so high MAY be because the endothelin 1 levels are so high and this protein/signaler causes vasoconstriction. Endothelin 1 levels are some 225% higher in MS patients than in controls. Now if you can reduce the endothelin 1, perhaps with a little light salvia seasoning, then the pressure and strains on the vasculature may be significantly ameliorated....

… Sort of takes us all the way back to the, " MS as a vascular disease", and, " MS and headaches", threads. It can't just be us who can see these patterns emerging, can it?

By the way, does anyone else keep reading, "salvia", as, "saliva"?

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how about "batman returns" - i always used to see "batman reruns" :S

i would like to refer this gang to the hypercoagulation thread

http://www.thisisms.com/ftopict-6192.html