Essay --

As of 2012, approximately 400,000 people in the United States have been key outd with MS, with 10,000 new cases being diagnosed each year. Worldwide, MS affects between 1.5 and 2.5 million people. (Davidson, Fallon, Slomski & Cataldo, 2013, p. 2228). With statistics like this many people have encountered individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The purpose of this report is to describe in detail this disease and how magnetic resonance imaging is the modality of choice to diagnose. The DiseaseMS is an autoimmune disease. This means that the bodys immune system attacks normal tissue. Immune cells attack and obliterate the myeline sheath that surrounds neurons found in the star and spinal cord. Myelin is an important component of neurons beca workout it acts as an insulator. Myelin sheaths help electric signals travel efficiently from the brain to areas of the body, and speeds transmission and prevents electrical activity in one cell from short-circuiting to another cell (D avidson et al., 2013, p. 2228). MS attacks these myelin sheaths and disrupts the efficiency of that signal. It can be compared to a radio receiver transmission. When myelin is working properly, one can hear a clear broadcast. However, when myelin is attacked and destroyed the transmission is no longer clear. It is jarbbled, hence, it alters and disrupts the message. When myelin is destroyed it turns into home run tissue called a plaque. This plaque will appear as small round areas of gray neurons without the white myelin covering (Davidson et al., 2013, p. 2228).CausesThere is no cognise reason to explain why the body starts attacking its own myelin sheaths. Though there has been much research, researchers have not been able to pinpoint a trigger. However, through this resear... ...em, because cortical bone does not produce a signal in MRI. This area is often obscured on CT because of the beam hardening artifact. The use of gadolinium better differentiates and increase s sensitivity in detecting lesions. Diffusion-weighted imaging also gives MRI the ability to determine the age of lesions or differentiate acute from continuing ischemic changes (Pierce & Dubose, 2012). In conclusion, MS is a disease affecting many individuals. It can shorten the individuals lifespan, but many treatment options are available to help cope with the symptoms. MRI is an evolving modality as it was just introduced in the 1990s and many advances have been made in the past check of years. MRI is more sensitive than CT in detecting changes in the white matter of the brain. That is why MRI is the modality of choice to help diagnose a case of Multiple Sclerosis.