SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 29 May. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The Multiple Sclerosis unit of the Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, a center attached to the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, has five clinical trials underway to investigate new treatments for multiple sclerosis and its symptoms.
The Multiple Sclerosis unit, which has attended a total of 1,742 consultations in the last year, is currently carrying out five clinical trials, one of which is a national project on transcranial stimulation in the assessment of fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis.
They are also investigating the change in the tone of voice when the pathology is in an initial phase, the objective is to detect it early through a series of records that reflect the tone and intensity of the voice to estimate the evolution of the pathology.
Another of the investigations is based on the gait disturbances suffered by patients. By using digital templates, researchers can analyze the patient’s daily gait and store behavioral records.
The hospital center recalls, on the occasion of World Multiple Sclerosis Day, the importance of early diagnosis and starting specific treatment as soon as possible for a favorable and sustained response. Treatments aim to prevent the development of multiple sclerosis.
154 YEARS OF CLINICAL RESEARCH
Multiple sclerosis is a degenerative pathology of the nervous system characterized by the fact that it affects myelin, a material that protects the nerve fibers of the Central Nervous System and that allows the transmission of nerve impulses. It was described 154 years ago, a period that has given rise to extensive international research to clarify its main clinical aspects.
This pathology has its origin in a failure of the immune system, responsible for protecting the body from external viruses and bacteria. In this sense, the system recognizes its own structures, but when this recognition fails and the body attacks its own organism, autoimmune pathologies occur. In this case, the immune system recognizes myelin as a foreign agent of the body.
It is more common in women and presents a wide range of symptoms such as different disorders of the motor area, difficulty walking and loss of strength in the limbs, balance disorders, gait instability, visual disturbances or tingling. This symptomatology can take the form of an outbreak or of a progressive nature.
The causes for which this pathology appears remain unspecified, although there is a certain scientific consensus that its fruit originates from a conjunction of a genetic predisposition and possible environmental factors.
In the center’s Multiple Sclerosis unit, they work in the healthcare and research field with a multidisciplinary team. It has four neurologists, a neuropsychologist, a researcher and a nurse. In addition, meetings of the Diagnosis and Treatment Committee are organized twice a month, which is made up of the unit team together with a neuroradiologist, a pharmacist, and an analyst assigned to the Clinical Analysis and Immunology service.
It also has the collaboration of doctors from the Ophthalmology, Urology and Rehabilitation service. Diagnoses are established in sessions and professionals assess the different treatments that can be carried out. Collaboration between specialties is essential to offer the patient complete care.
