Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Diagnosis
 

Prompt diagnosis of MS accelerates patient access to care that can prevent future relapses, reduce disease activity and slow progression1.

To diagnose MS, a series of steps needs to be undertaken: review of clinical symptoms and relapses; imaging of the brain, spinal cord and/or eye; and laboratory tests to identify proteins in the blood and/or spinal fluid1.

A combination of tests can be used to diagnose multiple sclerosis, including2:

  • Medical history evaluation and neurological exams
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • Blood analysis
  • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis
  • Evoked potential tests
  • Optical coherence tomography
Image
Doctor analyzing brain scans

 

McDonald criteria for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis are widely used in research and clinical practice. They have evolved over time and it is anticipated that, in 2025, newly revised diagnostic criteria will become available for MS1,2.

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