MS can never be ignored; one symptom or another is always present. I live with this every single day. Try as I might, there are questions and changes that I have that are never resolved. I cope by trying to plan for unpredictable outcomes. This, in and of itself, is stressful. It is with this mindset that I keep my thinking in check. I have a great deal of empathy for the long-termers with MS.
Below is an explanation of some information on smoldering neuroinflammation:
“Neuroinflammatory drivers of disease progression impact all patients with MS.2,8
- Neuroinflammatory drivers are active from the onset and continue regardless of whether patients have relapsing or progressive forms of the disease2,8
- Beginning early in MS, smoldering neuroinflammation can be largely unseen and lead to disability accumulation2
- Smoldering neuroinflammation starts and is ongoing even before the first relapse or acute lesion activity2
When “unseen” disease progression goes unaddressed, it can result in irreversible disability accumulation and damage that may negatively impact patients’ lives in several areas, including but not limited to9-12: cognition, mood, fatigue, dexterity, coordination and balance, and genitourinary symptoms.
Patient reports are the key to detecting and acknowledging subtle changes in disability that may be difficult to detect due to the low sensitivity of standard metrics like the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). This scale reflects the level of damage that has already occurred and provides limited information about the underlying neurodegenerative processes.2,10,13“
MS Fortunate 