Lack of Anti-Excitatory Activity in Cerebrospinal Fluid from Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Patients

by Hubertus Köller


Published: 03 May 2000

Factors in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) interfere with neuronal Na+ channels and thereby reduce neuronal excitability. The nature of such factors is still unknown. The CSF from patients with secondary progressive MS, however, did not contain this anti-excitatory activity, and therefore further efforts in the identificati on of these factors should concentrate on molecules specifically present in CSF during relapses.

Key Words: Multiple Sclerosis; Cortical Neurons; Sodium Current; Culture; Electrophysiology; Rats

Lack of Anti-Excitatory Activity in Cerebrospinal Fluid from Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Patients
by Hubertus Köller

 

Comments On This Article:

By Anonymous, posted 11/2/00:

  1. More data on patient specifics would be helpful. In spite of the small sample size, items of interest are:
    - Demographics
    - Length of time with the diagnosis
    - Frequency (group mean, mode or even individual data) of relapses in the RR group (in other words, how representative is this population?)
    - Any drug regimens of the patients in either group (interferon, colpaxone...)
  2. What is the phenomenon of excitability in aging or in normal populations?
  3. What are possible theoretical reasons for this to occur?
  4. Are there any animal models of anti-excitatory activity?

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