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[The problem and value of therapy in multiple sclerosis].
B Hitzschke1, H J Meyer-Rienecker, F Buddenhagen
1Abteilung Neurologie, Bereiches Medizin der Wilhelm-Pieck-Universität Rostock.
Psychiatrie, Neurologie, Und Medizinische Psychologie
|October 1, 1988
Summary
Treating multiple sclerosis (MS) presents challenges, with limited success observed for therapies like corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. Long-term data is lacking for newer treatments, questioning their overall efficacy in managing MS.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Immunology
- Clinical Therapeutics
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy faces significant challenges in treatment efficacy and outcome assessment.
- Current therapeutic strategies often yield limited long-term benefits for patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate existing and novel therapeutic approaches for multiple sclerosis.
- To assess the effectiveness of various treatments based on disease pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Review of established therapeutic principles including corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents (azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, antihumanlymphocyte globulin).
- Analysis of findings from therapeutic trials, including plasmapheresis, immunoadsorption, and ultraviolet blood irradiation.
- Longitudinal observation of disease course following interventions.
Main Results:
- Conventional therapies like corticosteroids and immunosuppressants demonstrated few favorable effects over extended periods.
- Limited long-term observational data exists for newer interventions such as plasmapheresis and immunoadsorption.
- The efficacy of current therapeutic conceptions for MS remains unconvincing.
Conclusions:
- Fundamental problems persist in multiple sclerosis treatment and outcome evaluation.
- Existing therapies show limited efficacy, and newer methods lack sufficient long-term data.
- A critical appraisal suggests that current therapeutic strategies for MS are not convincingly effective.