Aphasia In MS Does Not Appear To Indicate Disease Progression, Findings Show (3/

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Aphasia In MS Does Not Appear To Indicate Disease Progression, Findings Show (3/29/04)In a recent study, investigators examined the characteristics of a rare condition known as acute aphasia in MS, according to a report published in the March 23 issue of Neurology.Acute aphasia is marked by the defect or complete loss of the ability to speak or write and to understand spoken or written language due to injury or disease of the brain. Although the condition is generally considered to be rare among patients with MS, the study authors investigated data from 2,700 patients with the disease. Among this group, they found aphasic disorders in 22 of the patients.Aphasia was the first clinically relevant manifestation of MS in eight of the individuals, according to data obtained from their medical records. At the onset of the condition, 20 patients were diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS while the remaining two presented with secondary progressive forms of the disease.Doses of intravenous methylprednisolone were administered at 1 gram per day for three days in 19 patients. Within an average of approximately 16 weeks, 14 patients fully recovered from acute aphasia. Moreover, symptoms of MS did not appear to progress among the remaining eight patients.Thus, acute aphasia does not seem to indicate more severe progression of MS, the authors concluded. A support group for people with ms & their friends & relations. We try & keep informed of developments in ms research & stay abreast of legislative issues that may effect us.