 | Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is generally understood to be an inflammatory autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. While we still are not certain of the root cause of MS, research results suggest that unknown environmental factors and the presence of specific genes seem the most probable targets. MS causes an inflammatory response in the central nervous system leading to neurodegeneration, oligodendrocyte death, axonal damage, and gliosis. Over the past five years ongoing research has greatly expanded our understanding of the pathogenesis of MS, detailed insight into the epidemiology and genetic factors related to MS, the introduction of new technologies and tests to better diagnose and predict the future course of the disease and the introduction of new treatments targeting MS. This collection of review chapters provides a comprehensive reference into the science and clinical applications of the latest Multiple Sclerosis research and will be a valuable resource for the neuroscience research community and the clinical neurology community of researchers and practitioners. Dr. Douglas Goodin, director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at UCSF Medical Center, is a neurologist and an internationally renowned expert in the treatment and research of multiple sclerosis.. He earned a bachelor of sciences degree in genetics and biochemistry at the University of Washington in Seattle; a master of sciences degree in molecular biology at Purdue University in Indiana; and a medical degree from the University of California, Irvine. He completed a residency in neurology at UCSF where he joined the medical center staff in 1982. In addition to multiple sclerosis, Goodin's research interests include various forms of dementia. Goodin also is a professor of neurology at UCSF. |
