Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Multiple sclerosis: infectious hypothesis.

E Granieri1, I Casetta, M R Tola

  • 1Department of Neurology, University of Ferrara, Italy.

Neurological Sciences : Official Journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology
|October 18, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Outcomes with Endovascular Treatment of Patients with M2 Segment MCA Occlusion in the Late Time Window.

AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology·2023
Same author

Modeling hypoxia-related inflammation scenarios.

Mathematical biosciences·2022
Same author

Greening MSW management systems by saving footprint: The contribution of the waste transportation.

Journal of environmental management·2018
Same author

Intraoperative monitoring of sensory part of the trigeminal nerve using blink reflex during microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia.

Acta neurochirurgica·2017
Same author

Effect of organizational features on patient satisfaction with care in Italian multiple sclerosis centres.

European journal of neurology·2017
Same author

Excision of HIV-1 DNA by gene editing: a proof-of-concept in vivo study.

Gene therapy·2016
Same journal

Hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism in GBA2 associated spastic paraplegia type 46 (SPG46): a phenotypic expansion.

Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology·2026
Same journal

Vibrotactile stimulation induces changes in basal ganglia output, cervical muscle activity, and head posture in a patient with cervical dystonia.

Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology·2026
Same journal

Evaluating LLM diagnostic reasoning: a new frontier for clinical AI assessment.

Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology·2026
Same journal

Asymmetrical muscular disorder with normal creatine kinase (CK) and electromyography (EMG): the challenging diagnosis of muscular polyarteritis nodosa (MPAN), case report and literature review.

Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology·2026
Same journal

Neuropsychological assessment in adult epilepsy: rationale, test selection, and clinical integration across non-surgical care in Italian patients.

Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology·2026
Same journal

Early implementation of transradial mechanical thrombectomy in a primary stroke center: a sequential cohort propensity score-matched study.

Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology·2026
See all related articles

The cause of multiple sclerosis (MS) remains elusive, with infectious agents proposed but lacking definitive proof. Recent research suggests infections may trigger relapses in existing MS cases.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been investigated for over a century, with infectious agents, genetic factors, and environmental influences proposed.
  • The hypothesis of an infectious trigger for MS has persisted despite a lack of conclusive evidence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evidence supporting and refuting an infectious etiology for multiple sclerosis.
  • To explore the potential role of infections in triggering MS exacerbations.

Main Methods:

  • Review of historical and recent epidemiological studies on MS.
  • Analysis of factors such as geographic variation, migration patterns, and twin concordance.
  • Examination of studies investigating associations between MS and specific pathogens.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Geographic gradients, migration effects, and temporal incidence changes suggest environmental or infectious factors.
  • Low concordance in monozygotic twins and observed clusters hint at external triggers.
  • Despite suggestive epidemiological data, a specific infectious agent has not been identified, and analytical studies show weak associations.
  • Recent findings indicate that viral or bacterial infections may precipitate relapses in relapsing-remitting MS.

Conclusions:

  • The infectious hypothesis for MS etiology remains plausible but unproven.
  • While a definitive causative agent is elusive, infections may play a role in triggering MS relapses.