A News Tool Predicts MS Disability

Using a new MRI technique, a team of researchers measured iron lelvels in defferent parts of the brain in 600 people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and 250 healthy controls. They found that individuals with MS had higher iron levels in the basal ganglia, which control movement, and lower levels in the thalamus, which helps process signals from the senses. (The more iron you have in your body, the more you are likely to have in your brain, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will develop MS.) These findings could one day help doctors better identify which MS patients are at high risk for developing severe disability, including symptoms such as loss of vision, tremors, and paralysis.