Neurologists Investigate Possible New Underlying Cause of MS
October 14th, 2009 (PhysOrg.com) -- Neurologists at the University at
Buffalo are beginning a research study that could overturn the
prevailing wisdom on the cause of multiple sclerosis (MS). The
researchers will test the possibility that the symptoms of MS result
from narrowing of the primary veins outside the skull, a condition
called "chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency," or CCSVI.

Neurologists at the University at Buffalo are beginning a research
study that could overturn the prevailing wisdom on the cause of
multiple sclerosis (MS).


The researchers will test the possibility that the symptoms of MS
result from narrowing of the primary veins outside the skull, a
condition called "chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency," or
CCSVI.


CCSVI is a complex vascular condition discovered and described by
Paolo Zamboni, M.D., from Italy's University of Ferrara. In the
original Italian patients, CCSVI was found to be strongly associated
with MS, increasing the risk of developing MS by 43 fold.


This narrowing restricts the normal outflow of blood from the brain,
causing alterations in the blood flow patterns within the brain that
eventually causes injury to brain tissue and degeneration of neurons.


"If we can prove our hypothesis, that cerebrospinal venous
insufficiency is the underlying cause of MS," said Robert Zivadinov,
M.D., Ph.D., UB associate professor of neurology, director of the
Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC) and principal
investigator
on the study, "it is going to change the face of how we understand
MS."


Michael Cain, M.D., professor and dean of the UB School of Medicine
and Biomedical Sciences, said a positive outcome from this trial
would
have enormous implications for the treatment of MS. "Being able to
identify those at risk of developing MS before symptoms take their
toll could change the lives of millions of persons who now face
inevitable lifestyle restrictions."


Margaret Paroski, M.D., executive vice president and chief medical
officer of Kaleida Health, parent of Buffalo General Hospital where
the BNAC is located, commented: "Will Rogers once said, 'It isn't
what
we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we do know that ain't
so'. Challenging basic assumptions about diseases has lead to some
very important discoveries.


"When I was in medical school, we thought peptic ulcer disease was
due
to stress. We now know that 80 percent of cases are due to a
bacterial
infection. Dr. Zivadinov's work may lead to a whole different way of
thinking about multiple sclerosis."


The preliminary findings were based on a pilot study at the BNAC
headed by Zivadinov, and at the Universities of Ferrara and Bologna,
Italy, directed by Zamboni and Fabrizio Salvi, M.D, respectively. The
study showed that several abnormalities affecting the predominant
pathways that return venous blood from the brain to the heart
occurred
more frequently in MS patients than in controls.


This research, supported by the Hilarescere Foundation of Italy and
the BNAC, was conducted to replicate the findings of the Italian
investigators.


"Results of this preliminary study, which involved 16 relapsing-
remitting MS patients and eight age-and-sex-matched healthy controls,
showed that all the MS patients, but none of the controls, had
chronic
insufficient blood flow out of the brain," said Zivadinov.


Bianca Weinstock-Guttman, M.D., UB associate professor of neurology
and a co-principal investigator on the pilot study, added: "The
images
from this study were acquired using a method called Doppler
ultrasound. The method identified anomalies in the venous blood flow
associated with strictures, malformed valves and peculiar webs within
the large veins of the neck and brain"


Weinstock-Guttman directs the Baird Multiple Sclerosis Center at the
Jacobs Neurological Institute (JNI), UB's Department of Neurology.
The
JNI and BNAC are located in Buffalo General Hospital of Kaleida
Health.


Advanced magnetic resonance imaging scanning (MRI) of the MS study
patients conducted at the BNAC also identified distinct areas of iron
deposits in the brain, and showed that those deposits may be
associated with the location of MS lesions and sites of impaired
drainage. The scans also revealed increased brain atrophy and changes
in the flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the MS patients.


These results, which form the basis of the current larger
investigation, were presented at the 25th Congress of the European
Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis held in
September in Dusseldorf, Germany


The new study will involve 1,600 adults and 100 children. The cohort
will be comprised of 1,100 patients who were diagnosed with possible
or definite MS, 300 age-and-sex matched normal controls, and 300
patients with other autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases.
Enrollment in the study has begun and will continue for two years. MS
patients from across the U.S. are eligible to participate in the
study.


"The prevailing wisdom that central nervous system damage in MS is
predominantly the result of abnormal immune responses against the
patient's nervous tissue has been challenged by research findings,
which have demonstrated a significant neurodegenerative component in
MS and the progressive loss of neurons" said Zivadinov.


However, these inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes occur
concurrently in MS and vary considerably among patients, making it
difficult to identify the cause, or causes of the disease.
Consequently, the origin and development of MS remains poorly
understood, and its cause remains elusive."


To determine if these preliminary findings can be repeated, Zivadinov
and Weinstock-Guttman organized the present study, which will
evaluate
both the velocity of blood flow through both the brain's blood
vessels
and the extracranial veins, using Doppler ultrasound.


The technical name of the study is "combined transcranial and
extracranial venous Doppler (CTEVD) evaluation in MS and related
diseases".


All study subjects will undergo a general clinical examination and a
Doppler scan of the head and neck to acquire images of the direction
of venous blood flow in different body postures. Participants also
will provide blood samples, and complete an extensive environmental
questionnaire to identify potential MS risk factors.


All MS patients will undergo MRI of the brain to measure iron
deposits
in lesions and surrounding areas of the brain using a method called
susceptibility-weighted imaging. Iron findings on these images will
be
related to neuropsychological symptoms. The neuropsychological part
of
the study will be conducted by Ralph Benedict, Ph.D., professor of
neurology and psychiatry at the JNI, UB's Department of Neurology.


A sub-cohort of 250 consecutive patients and controls will undergo
MRI
of the veins of the neck to confirm diagnosis of CCSVI.


Murali Ramanathan, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, will analyze blood samples for proteins and soluble factors
associated with central nervous system injury. He also will be
looking
for other factors of interest in MS research, such as vitamin D
metabolites and cigarette smoking, which have been linked to
increased
risk for developing MS as well as MS disease progression.


The data will be unblinded at three predetermined time-points, with
the initial unblinding scheduled for November 2009. For more details
on the study, send an email to ctevd(at)bnac.net.


Zivadinov said results of the study may lead to a larger multicenter
North-American trial that will evaluate the occurrence of CCSVI in
MS.


Provided by University at Buffalo


------


Who loves ya.
Tom


Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http://tinyurl.com/2r2nkh


Man Is A Herbivore!
http://tinyurl.com/a3cc3


DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http://tinyurl.com/zk9fk

On Oct 26, 9:20 am, ironjustice  wrote:"If we
can prove our hypothesis, that cerebrospinalvenous insufficiency is
the underlying cause of MS," <<

IF this IS sooo .. then those with MS who ALSO have **hyperviscosity**
SHOULD BE 'more quick to death' .. ?

Logical ..

Try to force milkshake through a small straw as opposed to water
through the straw ..

IF thin pipes and webs are constricting outflow then those with
hyperviscosity would even be WORSE off due to the hyperviscosity ..
There is a high rate of hyperviscosity in Multiple Sclerosis ..

-------------------


"26.2% of patients demonstrated an appreciable increase of blood
viscosity"

Changes in rheological properties of blood in multiple sclerosis and
their correction
Karlov VA, Savin AA, Smertina LP, Redchits EG, Seleznev AN, Svetailo
LIu, Margosiuk NV, Stulin ID
Zh Nevropatol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 1990; 90(11): 47-50


As many as 45 patients with multiple sclerosis were examined for
rheological blood properties.
As compared to controls, the group under examination manifested
the rise of plasma viscosity, acceleration of red blood cell
aggregation.
26.2% of patients demonstrated an appreciable increase of blood
viscosity.
It is assumed that these changes contribute to the deterioration
of microcirculation and aggravate the demyelinating process.
Correction of the rheological properties of the blood by
plasmapheresis coupled with other methods of pathogenetic therapy
turned out effective.


------

"Presence of the wrong kind of knowledge"

That means .. heads full of .. sht ..

This study says medical professionals .. need .. to **bone
up** .. and .. "use your brains" ..

They also say bloodletting and / or menstruation alleviates
accumulation of blood and hyperviscosity / 'thick blood' and
should be used as a **selling point** in blood donation centers.

Alleviative Bleeding: Bloodletting, Menstruation
and the Politics of Ignorance in a Brazilian Blood
Donation Centre
Emilia Sanabria
Centre Edgar Morin (EHESS/CNRS), emilia.sanabria@ehess.fr

This article focuses on blood donation as a form of bloodletting
in a context where donation is commonly seen to alleviate the
symptoms of `thick blood'.
It deals with the gendered aspects of blood donation, and the
parallels drawn between donating blood and menstruating.
Women are seen not to need to donate blood as much as men,
who, in the absence of menstruation, are more prone to thick
blood and require a means to expunge the ensuing excess.
While blood donation professionals strive to reconstruct donation
as a selfless and ungendered act, counterposing the `facts' of
arterial blood circulation to local blood-lore and beliefs, lay
understandings challenge this construction in the use they make
of blood donation centres or by reiterating the personalistic and
gendered dimensions of donation.
The article explores cases of patients who use hormonal
contraceptives which suppress menstruation and express concerns
over the resulting accumulation of blood in the body.
It considers how blood donation is adopted by some women as
a means of dispelling both the perceived inconveniences of menstrual
bleeding and its swelling effects.
Such literalized engagements with medical technologies reveal a
conception of the body as a permeable, malleable and recipient-like
enclosure.
These views are often characterized as `ignorance' by medical
practitioners, where ignorance is seen to derive not only from the
absence
of knowledge, but from the presence of the wrong kind of knowledge.


Key Words: anthropology • blood • Brazil • humours •
menstrual suppression • menstruation

Body & Society, Vol. 15, No. 2, 123-144 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1357034X09104112


------------


Who loves ya.
Tom


Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http://tinyurl.com/2r2nkh


Man Is A Herbivore!
http://tinyurl.com/a3cc3


DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http://tinyurl.com/zk9fk

> On Oct 14, 6:39 pm, ironjustice  wrote:This
> narrowing restricts the normal outflow of blood from the brain,
> causing alterations in the blood flow patterns within the brain that
> eventually causes injury to brain tissue and degeneration of neurons.
> increasing the risk of developing MS by 43 fold. <<
>
> "Increase in local CBF of 161% in the hemodilution group"
>
> The Effect of Isovolemic Hemodilution on the
> Autoregulation of Cerebral Blood Flow.
> Korean J Anesthesiol. 2005 Dec;49(6):S35-S40. English.
> Kim TK, Kim YS.
> Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine,
> The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
> 3tk...@catholic.ac.kr
>
> BACKGROUND: Hemodilution may increase cerebral blood
> flow (CBF) but the mechanism(s) remain controversal.
> Autoregulation is easily modified or disturbed by several
> conditions.
> The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of
> isovolemic hemodilution on the autoregulation of cerebral
> blood flow in a rabbit model.
> METHODS:
> Stepwise hemodilution was accomplished by incrementally
> removing whole blood from the animals in amounts of 8-12 ml
> and replacing this with an equal volume of 6% hetastarch
> in saline.
> This procedure was continued until the target content values
> of approximately Hct -18% were achieved.
> To evaluate the influence of pressure changes on CBF, mean
> arterial pressure (MAP) was increased from a baseline
> pressure (approximately 78 mmHg) to 145 mmHg by infusing
> methoxamine, and cerebral blood flow was measured at each
> MAP level using the hydrogen clearence method after MAP had
> been stabilized for 15 min.
> RESULTS:
> Stepwise hespen replacement caused a sudden drop of Hct
> from 37.4% to 18.5% and a simultaneously a significant
> increase in local CBF of 161% in the hemodilution group.
> Hemodilution significantly reduced CaO2 in the hemodilution
> group (9.45  1.7 ml O2/dl) versus the control group (18.34  1.3
> ml O2/dl). However, despite these decrease in CaO2, calculated
> cerebral oxygen delivery (DO2) was as well maintained in the
> hemodilution group (22.47  7.28 ml O2/100 gm/min) as in the control
> group (24.14  8.67 ml O2/100 gm/min). MAP increases from 78 mmHg to
> 145 mmHg produced a significant increase in CBF from 122.4  32.8 ml/
> 100 gm/min to 170.9  23.7 ml/100 gm/min in control group (39.6%)
> and from 218.4  75.6 ml/100 gm/min to 268.4  106.5 ml/100 gm/min
> in the hemodilution group (44.6%) (P<0.001). These CBF increases were
> not significantly different in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The
> present study demonstrates that in the normal brain the decrease in
> CaO2 caused by hemodilution is well compensated for by an increase
> CBF, and that oxygen transport to the brain is also well maintained
> during at a Hct value of 20%. Although the present study did not show
> the tight CBF control within the MAP range from 78 mmHg to 145 mmHg,
> hemodilution did not alter the response of the cerebral circulation to
> increased MAP.
>
> ------
>
> Who loves ya.
> Tom
>
> Jesus Was A Vegetarian!http://tinyurl.com/2r2nkh
>
> Man Is A Herbivore!http://tinyurl.com/a3cc3
>
> DEAD PEOPLE WALKINGhttp://tinyurl.com/zk9fk
>
>
>
> > Neurologists Investigate Possible New Underlying Cause of MS
> > October 14th, 2009 (PhysOrg.com) -- Neurologists at the University at
> > Buffalo are beginning a research study that could overturn the
> > prevailing wisdom on the cause of multiple sclerosis (MS). The
> > researchers will test the possibility that the symptoms of MS result
> > from narrowing of the primary veins outside the skull, a condition
> > called "chronic cerebrospinalvenousinsufficiency," or CCSVI.
>
> > Neurologists at the University at Buffalo are beginning a research
> > study that could overturn the prevailing wisdom on the cause of
> > multiple sclerosis (MS).
>
> > The researchers will test the possibility that the symptoms of MS
> > result from narrowing of the primary veins outside the skull, a
> > condition called "chronic cerebrospinalvenousinsufficiency," or
> > CCSVI.
>
> > CCSVI is a complex vascular condition discovered and described by
> > Paolo Zamboni, M.D., from Italy's University of Ferrara. In the
> > original Italian patients, CCSVI was found to be strongly associated
> > with MS, increasing the risk of developing MS by 43 fold.
>
> > This narrowing restricts the normal outflow of blood from the brain,
> > causing alterations in the blood flow patterns within the brain that
> > eventually causes injury to brain tissue and degeneration of neurons.
>
> > "If we can prove our hypothesis, that cerebrospinalvenous
> > insufficiency is the underlying cause of MS," said Robert Zivadinov,
> > M.D., Ph.D., UB associate professor of neurology, director of the
> > Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC) and principal
> > investigator
> > on the study, "it is going to change the face of how we understand
> > MS."
>
> > Michael Cain, M.D., professor and dean of the UB School of Medicine
> > and Biomedical Sciences, said a positive outcome from this trial
> > would
> > have enormous implications for the treatment of MS. "Being able to
> > identify those at risk of developing MS before symptoms take their
> > toll could change the lives of millions of persons who now face
> > inevitable lifestyle restrictions."
>
> > Margaret Paroski, M.D., executive vice president and chief medical
> > officer of Kaleida Health, parent of Buffalo General Hospital where
> > the BNAC is located, commented: "Will Rogers once said, 'It isn't
> > what
> > we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we do know that ain't
> > so'. Challenging basic assumptions about diseases has lead to some
> > very important discoveries.
>
> > "When I was in medical school, we thought peptic ulcer disease was
> > due
> > to stress. We now know that 80 percent of cases are due to a
> > bacterial
> > infection. Dr. Zivadinov's work may lead to a whole different way of
> > thinking about multiple sclerosis."
>
> > The preliminary findings were based on a pilot study at the BNAC
> > headed by Zivadinov, and at the Universities of Ferrara and Bologna,
> > Italy, directed by Zamboni and Fabrizio Salvi, M.D, respectively. The
> > study showed that several abnormalities affecting the predominant
> > pathways that returnvenousblood from the brain to the heart
> > occurred
> > more frequently in MS patients than in controls.
>
> > This research, supported by the Hilarescere Foundation of Italy and
> > the BNAC, was conducted to replicate the findings of the Italian
> > investigators.
>
> > "Results of this preliminary study, which involved 16 relapsing-
> > remitting MS patients and eight age-and-sex-matched healthy controls,
> > showed that all the MS patients, but none of the controls, had
> > chronic
> > insufficient blood flow out of the brain," said Zivadinov.
>
> > Bianca Weinstock-Guttman, M.D., UB associate professor of neurology
> > and a co-principal investigator on the pilot study, added: "The
> > images
> > from this study were acquired using a method called Doppler
> > ultrasound. The method identified anomalies in thevenousblood flow
> > associated with strictures, malformed valves and peculiar webs within
> > the large veins of the neck and brain"
>
> > Weinstock-Guttman directs the Baird Multiple Sclerosis Center at the
> > Jacobs Neurological Institute (JNI), UB's Department of Neurology.
> > The
> > JNI and BNAC are located in Buffalo General Hospital of Kaleida
> > Health.
>
> > Advanced magnetic resonance imaging scanning (MRI) of the MS study
> > patients conducted at the BNAC also identified distinct areas of iron
> > deposits in the brain, and showed that those deposits may be
> > associated with the location of MS lesions and sites of impaired
> > drainage. The scans also revealed increased brain atrophy and changes
> > in the flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the MS patients.
>
> > These results, which form the basis of the current larger
> > investigation, were presented at the 25th Congress of the European
> > Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis held in
> > September in Dusseldorf, Germany
>
> > The new study will involve 1,600 adults and 100 children. The cohort
> > will be comprised of 1,100 patients who were diagnosed with possible
> > or definite MS, 300 age-and-sex matched normal controls, and 300
> > patients with other autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases.
> > Enrollment in the study has begun and will continue for two years. MS
> > patients from across the U.S. are eligible to participate in the
> > study.
>
> > "The prevailing wisdom that central nervous system damage in MS is
> > predominantly the result of abnormal immune responses against the
> > patient's nervous tissue has been challenged by research findings,
> > which have demonstrated a significant neurodegenerative component in
> > MS and the progressive loss of neurons" said Zivadinov.
>
> > However, these inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes occur
> > concurrently in MS and vary considerably among patients, making it
> > difficult to identify the cause, or causes of the disease.
> > Consequently, the origin and development of MS remains poorly
> > understood, and its cause remains elusive."
>
> > To determine if these preliminary findings can be repeated, Zivadinov
> > and Weinstock-Guttman organized the present study, which will
> > evaluate
> > both the velocity of blood flow through both the brain's blood
> > vessels
> > and the extracranial veins, using Doppler ultrasound.
>
> > The technical name of the study is "combined transcranial and
> > extracranialvenousDoppler (CTEVD) evaluation in MS and related
> > diseases".
>
> > All study subjects will undergo a general clinical examination and a
> > Doppler scan of the head and neck to acquire images of the direction
> > ofvenousblood flow in different body postures. Participants also
> > will provide blood samples, and complete an extensive environmental
> > questionnaire to identify potential MS risk factors.
>
> > All MS patients will undergo MRI of the brain to measure iron
> > deposits
> > in lesions and surrounding areas of the brain using a method called
> > susceptibility-weighted imaging. Iron findings on these images will
> > be
> > related to neuropsychological- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -...
>
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