Diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis

In this era of highly effective treatments, early intervention for multiple sclerosis can be life changing. However, the wide range of initial symptoms often leads to many people being undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, leaving them without the proper care for years. In this podcast episode, we’ll discuss the early signs of MS and the key tests, such as specific MRI and spinal fluid results, that are crucial for a timely and accurate diagnosis.

Criteria to diagnose MS continues to evolve to help make a diagnosis more swiftly and correctly. Specific MRI findings in the brain and spinal cord can allow for an immediate diagnosis of MS with the first attack. Brand-new updates highlight the role of the optic nerve and even offer a path to diagnosing MS in people who show no neurological symptoms. With so much at stake, a timely and accurate diagnosis of MS is more important than ever.

This podcast episode is sponsored by TG Therapeutics and Neuraxpharm.

Xavier Montalban MD PhD

Xavier Montalban MD PhD is the Chair of Neurology and Director of CEMCAT (Multiple Sclerosis Center of Catalonia) at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.  He has served as Chair of the International Medical & Scientific Board of the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation and President of the European of the Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS).  Professor Montalban has been in the inception phases and on steering committees of numerous clinical trials related to multiple sclerosis.  He is a leading researcher on MRI and biologic prognostic factors of disease evolution and treatment response.

Léorah Freeman MD PhD is an assistant professor in the Dell Medical School Department of Neurology and neurologist in the UT Health Austin Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center.  Dr. Freeman earned both her medical degree and doctorate from Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, France. She completed a residency in neurology at Assistance Publique – Hopitaux de Paris and a MS fellowship at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Hôpital La Pitié Salpêtrière in Paris, France. She also completed a post-doctoral research training in neuroimaging at the Brain and Spine Institute in Paris, France. Her current research focuses on the application of advanced imaging techniques to determine the mechanisms driving disability progression in multiple sclerosis.