Abstract
The neuroepidemiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) offers numerous interesting features including the peculiar distribution of this disease by age and sex, affecting predominantly women in young and middle-age adult age-groups, as well as a typical geographic pattern of occurrence with low prevalence in tropical regions and increasing prevalence in temperate regions. Although ethnic, racial, and genetic factors have been implicated, no definitive genetic markers have been identified and the mode of transmission remains unknown. Likewise, no single environmental factor has been demonstrated to cause MS. The recently proposed protective effect of sunlight exposure and vitamin D offers new hopes for the prevention and treatment of this potentially devastating condition. Finally, novel clinical trial methodologies have been proposed to determine in shorter and more efficient trials the effectiveness of future therapeutic agents in MS.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Handbook of Clinical Neuroepidemiology |
| Publisher | Nova Science Publishers, Inc. |
| Pages | 557-572 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| ISBN (Print) | 1600215114, 9781600215117 |
| State | Published - 2007 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)