Speaking Multiple Sclerosis: A Glossary of Common Terms

Whether you’ve been recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) or have been living with the condition for a while, chances are you’ll sometimes hear terms from your healthcare team that are new to you.

The following is a quick, alphabetical guide to the terminology you may need to know as you manage your condition:

脚踝矫形器（AFO）A brace designed to support the position of the foot and motion of the ankle to compensate for nerve damage and muscle weakness in the area caused by MS and other movement disorders. An AFO is typically used to stabilize weak limbs or to reposition a limb with contracted muscles into a more normal position.

Annualized Relapse Rate这是一组中发生的平均复发次数people with MSin one year. It’s often used as a measure of a drug’s effectiveness in clinical research trials.

For example, if in a group of 100 people with MS, each person had 1 relapse, that would total 100 relapses over that year; the average number of relapses that each individual experienced would be 1, and hence the annualized relapse rate would also be 1.

In another example, if out of 100 people with MS, 50 people have 2 relapses and 50 people don’t have any, the average would again be 1, and the annualized relapse rate would also be 1.

Autoimmune DiseaseYour immune system plays a major part of your body’s defense against bacteria and viruses by sending out cells to attack them once they enter your body. However, if you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in your body, causing them to weaken or break down. MS is thought to be just one example of an autoimmune disease. It has been suggested that in MS, your immune system may mistakenly attack the cells in your central nervous system.

AxonLong threadlike structures of nerve cells that send impulses to other cells in your body. Research suggests that damage to or loss of these fibers in progressive MS may be linked to worsening disability and more severe progression.

Central Nervous System (CNS)您体内的器官组包括大脑，脊髓和视神经。如果您有MS，则您的身体的免疫系统可能会针对中枢神经系统作用，从而产生神经系统症状，例如肌肉无力和视力问题。

Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)A clear, colorless liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord to protect the CNS and assist in the circulation of nutrients and removal of waste products. In MS, damage to the myelin sheath of nerve cells causes certain types of proteins to be released into the spinal fluid. The presence of these proteins in the CSF, but not in the blood, may point to adiagnosis of MS．

Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS)A first episode of neurologic symptoms that lasts at least 24 hours and is caused by inflammation or demyelination (loss of the myelin that covers the nerve cells) in the CNS. People who experience CIS may or may not go on to develop MS. However, when CIS is accompanied by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)–detected brain lesions similar to those found in MS, you have a 60 to 80 percent chance of a second neurologic event and diagnosis of MS within several years,according to the National MS Society．

Cog FogA commonly used term that refers to the cognitive changes experienced by many people with MS.According to MS Australia, approximately 50 percent of people with the condition will develop some degree ofcog fog, or inhibited ability to think, reason, concentrate, or remember. For some, cognitive problems will become severe enough to interfere in a significant way with daily activities.

Corticosteroids (or Steroids)处方药用于治疗复发的MS中的复发。您的医生可能会开静脉（IV）开处方corticosteroidsif the symptoms of your relapse are causing significant problems, like poor vision or difficulty walking. These drugs work by suppressing the immune system and reducing inflammation in the CNS, and they may help relapse symptoms resolve more quickly. But they won’t affect your ultimate level of recovery from a relapse or the long-term course of your MS.甲基强的松龙是MS中常用的皮质类固醇。

“Crap Gap”这是一个lang语的术语Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)infusions (delivered by an IV in the arm every six months) when a person feels their MS symptoms worsening．The “gap” can occur in the final few weeks before the next infusion is scheduled when the medication may be wearing off and continue for a short time after the infusion until the medication has a chance to start working.

Diplopia (or “Double Vision”)An eye problem in which you see two images of a single object. It may be present when only one eye is open (monocular) or disappear when either eye is closed (binocular). Diplopia is a common symptom of MS, and it occurs because of damage to the optic nerve.

Disease-Modifying Therapies (DMTs)Drugs designed to reduce new relapses, delay progression of disability, and limit new CNS inflammation in people with MS. Although there are multiple DMTs that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in MS, these drugs generally work by reducing inflammation in nerve cells in the CNS.

Dysarthria神经肌肉障碍引起的语音障碍，导致言语中使用的肌肉的运动控制障碍。人们认为，MS中的脱髓鞘病变可能会导致嘴唇，舌头，下颌骨，柔软的口感，声带和diaphragm的痉挛，虚弱，缓慢或共同的无视不协调，从而造成这种语音障碍。

Dysphagia (Difficulty Swallowing)MS患者可能会出现这种情况，导致难以食用固体食物或液体，在进食或饮用过程中频繁清除喉咙，感觉食物被卡在喉咙，咳嗽或饮用时咳嗽或窒息感觉。这是控制吞咽的肌肉内神经损伤的结果。

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)被认为是MS的可能原因或触发的病毒。尽管MS的确切原因仍然未知，但研究人员认为传染剂可能参与其发展。Studies已经发现，最终发展为MS的抗体（表明某人已暴露于给定病毒的免疫蛋白）比那些没有的抗体要高得多。其他研究指出，患有特定免疫相关基因和高水平的EBV抗体的人发育MS的可能性是其他人的9倍。

Evoked PotentialsA test that measures the speed of nerve messages along sensory nerves to the brain, which can be detected on your scalp using electrodes attached with sticky pads. It’s sometimes used in the diagnosis of MS, because nerve damage can slow down the transmission of nerve signals. Evoked potential tests can indicate nerve pathways that are damaged prior to the onset ofMS symptoms．

Exacerbation发生新症状或旧症状恶化的发生，也可能被称为复发，攻击或爆发。加重可能非常温和或足够严重，可以干扰一个人的日常活动。

Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS)The Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale is a modified version of the Kurtzke Disability Status Scale that was first developed in the 1950s as a way to measure disability in people with MS.

Foot Drop (or Drop Foot)A symptom of MS caused by weakness in the ankle or disruption in the nerve pathway between the legs and the brain, making it difficult to lift the front of the foot to the correct angle during walking. If you have foot drop, your foot hangs down and may catch or drag along the ground, resulting in trips and falls. Foot drop can be managed with an AFO or other treatments.

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT)A procedure designed to “reboot” the immune system, theNational MS Society says，使用源自人自己的骨髓或血液的造血（产生血细胞 - 产生的）干细胞。如果您的医生建议使用HSCT，则在这些细胞通过静脉注射重新引入人体之前，您将接受化学疗法方案，在那里它们将迁移到您的骨髓中以重建免疫系统。

John Cunningham (JC) Virus一个常见的感染完全无关的女士is found in as many as 90 percent of people,according to the UK's MS Trust．JC病毒通常没有症状和控制led by the immune system. However, if your immune system is weakened, the JC virus can reactivate, causing potentially fatal inflammation and damage to the brain known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Certain MS disease-modifying therapies have been linked with increased risk for PML.

Lhermitte’s SignAn electric shock-like sensation experienced by some with MS when the neck is moved in a particular way. The sensation can travel down to the spine, arms, and legs.

Lesion (or Plaque)是指MS炎症引起的中枢神经系统中的损害或疤痕（硬化）区域。这些病变可以在MRI扫描中发现，活性病变显示为白色斑块。有了常规的MRI，神经科医生可以告诉您的MS有多活跃。

腰椎穿刺（或脊柱水龙头）A procedure used for the collection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), sometimes done to help diagnose MS. For this procedure, your doctor will ask you to lie on your side or bend forward while seated, beforecleansingan area of your lower back and injecting a local anesthetic. He will then insert a hollow needle and extract a small amount of spinal fluid using a syringe.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)The diagnostic tool that currently offers the most sensitive noninvasive way of imaging the brain, spinal cord, or other areas of the body,according to the National MS Society．It’s the preferred imaging method for diagnosis of MS and to monitor the course of the disease. MRI uses magnetic fields and radio waves to measure the relative water content in tissues, which is notable in MS because the layer of myelin that protects nerve cell fibers is fatty and repels water. In areas where myelin has been damaged by MS, fat is stripped away and the tissue holds more water. This shows up on an MRI as a bright white spot or darkened area, depending on how the images are made.

McDonald CriteriaA guidance used in the diagnosis of MS, authored by an international panel of experts on the condition, originally in 2010. The guidance was updated in 2017. Among the key changes: advising for the use of brain MRI as part of the diagnostic process.

MS HugA common symptom of MS. If you experience the拥抱女士, you may feel like you have a tight band around your chest or ribs, or pressure on one side of your torso. Some people find that it is painful to breathe. The MS hug can last for seconds, minutes, hours, or even longer.

MS ProdromeAprodromeis an early stage of signs or symptoms that happens before the onset of the typical symptoms. Many experts believe that some people who go on to be diagnosed with MS experience a prodrome, evidenced by their increased healthcare use during the 5 to 10 years prior to the first demyelinating (causing the loss or destruction of myelin in nerve tissue) event.

MyelinA substance rich in lipids (fatty substances) and proteins that helps form the myelin sheath. In MS, particularly relapsing-remitting MS, an abnormal immune response produces inflammation in the CNS, effectively attacking the myelin in the cells.

Myelin SheathAn insulating layer of fatty substances and proteins that forms around the nerves in body, including those in the CNS. It allows electrical impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently along the nerve cells, but these impulses can be slowed if the sheath is damaged, causing MS.

NeurodegenerationRefers to the process by which the myelin sheath of cells in the CNS is damaged in MS. It’s believed to be a major contributor to neurological disability in the condition, and may be the reason immune modulation treatments (disease-modifying therapy) are generally less effective in the progressive MS than in the relapsing-remitting MS.

NeurologistThe “point person” for monitoring yourMS治疗and managing MS symptoms. This specialist typically focuses on conditions affecting the CNS.

Neuropathic PainMS中常见的一种疼痛，是由于髓鞘和轴突或神经纤维的变化或损坏而导致的。MS引起的神经性疼痛可能是慢性的，间歇性的，或仅是响应刺激而发生的。

Neuropsychologist您可能会引用专家，谁可以帮助您管理MS的认知效果。神经心理学测试（或大脑功能的测试）涉及确定与MS相关的记忆或学习困难。认知康复可以改善功能。

Nociceptive PainCaused by damage to muscles and joints, it can be either acute or chronic, and may not result from MS itself, but be caused by changes in posture or walking or the overuse of assistive devices in those with the condition.

NystagmusA common eye abnormality in MS, it’s characterized by involuntary, rhythmic, back-and-forth motion of the eyeball, either horizontally or vertically. For those with nystagmus, the perception of the rhythmic movement of the surrounding stationary world (oscillopsia) can be disorienting and disabling.

Oligoclonal Bands (OCBs)Immunoglobulins, or proteins, that collect in blood plasma or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Although not every person with MS has OCBs, their presence can support a diagnosis of MS. Having OCBs is generally associated with a younger age of MS onset and a poorer prognosis.

视神经炎An inflammatory condition that damages the optic nerve, a bundle of nerve fibers that transmits visual information from your eye to your brain, causing pain and temporary vision loss in one eye. It’s been linked with nerve damage resulting from MS, and may be among the first symptoms a person with the condition experiences.

Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA)大约10％的MS患者以及帕金森氏病或amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS),according to the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA)．It’s characterized by sudden, uncontrollable expressions of laughter or crying without an obvious cause, which can be distressing as well as embarrassing to those who experience it. PBA is believed to be a mood disorder related to the disruption of nerve impulses in the CNS, but it’s different from depression, which is also common in MS.

PseudoexacerbationA temporary worsening of symptoms without actual myelin inflammation or damage. It is often triggered by other illnesses or infection, exercise, a warm environment, depression, exhaustion, and stress. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common type of infection to cause a pseudoexacerbation.

Radiologically Isolated Syndrome (RIS)People with RIS have brain abnormalities similar to those seen in people with multiple sclerosis (as viewed on an MRI) but typically without any symptoms. Diagnosis of RIS often happens when a person is getting an MRI as part of a medical work-up for an unrelated condition, such as a head injury or migraine.

硬化A general hardening of the body tissue. The term “multiple sclerosis” refers to the multiple areas of scar tissue — often called “lesions” — that develop along affected nerve fibers and that are visible in MRI scans.

SpasticityA symptom of MS that causes your muscles to feel stiff, heavy, or difficult to move. When a muscle spasms, you’ll experience a sudden stiffening that may cause a limb to jerk. This may be painful.

Trigeminal Neuralgia (or Tic Douloureux)一种神经性疼痛发生在脸上（通常仅在一侧）。这是MS的已知症状，您可能会在脸颊上体验到它。上颌或下颌；在嘴里；或在您的眼睛，耳朵或额头周围的区域。在MS中，通常是由三叉神经周围髓鞘损坏引起的，三叉神经周围的髓鞘还控制着咀嚼中使用的肌肉。这种情况是由日常活动触发的，例如剃须时或咀嚼时张力的面部肌肉。

VertigoAn intense sensation of the surrounding environment spinning around one. In MS,vertigois typically caused by growth of an existing lesion or development of a new lesion on the brain stem or cerebellum, the area in the brain that controls balance. It can also be a symptom of a problem with the inner ear, or it can be side effect of medication used to treat MS or other health conditions you may have.