- the earliest written record of someone with MS was Lydwina of Schieden, Dutch patron Saint of Ice Skaters.
1838-1868: First sightings
Autopsy reports dating back to 1838 were among the first “sightings” of MS. The reports included detailed images of the bodies of the deceased. These images showed what we now understand to be plaques, or areas of scar tissue caused by inflammation in the brain or spinal cord.
In 1868 a French professor named Jean-Martin Charcot made an association between the plaques he saw in an autopsy with the tremors, slurred speech, and irregular eye movements that the deceased woman exhibited when alive.
Charcot correctly assumed the lesions corresponded to the symptoms he described. But he didn’t know what caused the mysterious disease. His contribution was to describe the disease and give it a name. At that time, he offered no suggestion for treatment.
1870s: Official recognition
MS was recognized as a disease in the 1870s. Dr. Walter Moxen in England, and Dr. Edward Seguin in New York, observed a range of neurological symptoms in many people.
They found that MS affected females more often than males. The doctors also determined that MS wasn’t strictly genetic. Parents didn’t necessarily pass the disease down to their children.
1878
- Myelin was discovered by Dr. Ranvier.
1890's
- caused by the suppression of sweat; treated with herbs & bed rest; life expectancy after diagnosis was 5 years.
1910's
- caused by an unknown blood toxin; treated with purgatives & stimulants; life expectancy after diagnosis was 10 years.
1919
- Abnormalities in the spinal fluid were discovered in MS, but their significance remained puzzling for decades.
1920
- Men were thought to be more susceptible to MS than women.
Why?....
Because women were often mistakenly diagnosed with "Creeping paralysis" as it was called in those days, was considered a mental condition caused by "female hysteria". MS symptoms tend to flair each month for most female MSers.
1925
- Lord Edgar Douglas Adrian recorded the first electrical nerve transmissions, which helped prove demyelinated nerve cannot sustain electrical impulses.
1928
- The oligodendrocyte cell that makes myelin was discovered.
1930s: Breakthrough and research
The first half of the 20th century saw a boom of medical breakthroughs that helped the medical community study the progression and symptoms of MS. It was now possible to view cells under a microscope. And it was also possible to detect abnormalities in spinal cord fluid and record electrical activity of the nerves.
In 1935, the pieces of the MS puzzle started to come together, thanks to Dr. Thomas Rivers of New York’s Rockefeller Institute. Rivers proved through experiments with lab animals that MS was not a viral disease of the immune system.
Dr. Thomas Rivers demonstrated that nerve tissue, not viruses, produced a MS-like illness. This animal form of MS, called EAE or experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, paved the way to our present theories of auto- immunity, for it demonstrated the body can generate an immunologic attack against itself.
1938
- Dr. V.B. Dolgopol described a case of optic neuritis, caused by severe demyelination and attributed it to Devic's Syndrone. This syndrome was considered to be a subclass of Multiple Sclerosis during this time period.
1940's
- caused by blood clots & poor circulation; treated with drugs that improve circulation; life expectancy after diagnosis was 18 years.
1960s: The role of the immune system
The idea that MS was linked to the immune system was still being explored throughout the 1940s and 1950s. The connection wasn’t understood until the following decade. One theory from the 1960s posited the immune system attacked the myelin coating of the nerves and acted like an autoimmune disease.
- caused by allergic reaction; treated with vitamins & antihistamines; life expectancy after diagnosis was 25 years.
1990s: Drug treatment explosion
The 1990s could be named the “drug explosion” decade for MS treatments. Interferon, an injectable drug used to treat cancer, was approved as a treatment for relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) in the early and mid 1990s in the United States and Canada. And more disease-altering drugs were approved throughout the decade. These medications helped change the way the immune system attacks its own healthy tissues.
Scientists could treat MS more effectively now that more was known about it. Treatment could help control symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.
1996
- caused by autoimmune reaction possibly linked to virus; treated with steroids & immune system regulating drugs; life expectancy after diagnosis is essentially normal for most.
2000s: New theories
The new millennium saw new theories about MS. It’s still unknown what causes demyelinating lesions in MS. But it’s believed to be an autoimmune mechanism. New research points toward a cascade effect leading to the damage and offers new thoughts on ways to prevent the damage.
These discoveries could help prevent the disease and minimize its effects.
A study published in a 2012 issue of Neurology reported that vitamin D may protect against MS. Another study in the Annals of Neurology proposed that oxygen may help prevent damage. Other evidence suggests that a combination of anti-inflammatory, regenerative, and neuroprotective strategies should be used.
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