Multiple Sclerosis

Once thought of as a uniformly disabling condition, multiple sclerosis (MS) is now a much more treatable disease. At UT Southwestern Medical Center, our specialists craft individualized strategies to improve function and give people with MS greater control over their illness. Our team has had tremendous success keeping patients in remission and preventing many symptoms.

The Multiple Sclerosis Program at UT Southwestern is recognized as a world leader in the research and treatment of MS. We work in conjunction with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to provide comprehensive care to patients with MS, serving the entire North Texas region as well as patients from across the country. We routinely help patients, families, and practitioners make an accurate diagnosis, exclude potential mimics of multiple sclerosis, and devise an effective treatment strategy.

Why Choose UT Southwestern for Multiple Sclerosis Care?

MS is a central nervous system disorder that affects more than 800,000 people in the U.S. It is the most common disabling disease in young adults, usually striking between the ages of 18 and 45, and occurs three times as frequently in women as in men.

MS is believed to be an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks myelin, the protective covering of the nerves in the brain, optic nerve, and spinal cord. Scar tissue (or sclerosis), builds up within the central nervous system, disrupting nerve function across many systems in the body.

UT Southwestern’s Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Clinic has been designated as an MS Center of Excellence by the Multiple System Atrophy Coalition. Our team addresses the wide range of symptoms that can make MS difficult to treat. Patients have access to specialists in every discipline related to the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Our specialists provide each patient with an individualized treatment plan to decrease the frequency of MS attacks and impede the onset of permanent disability. We also treat other autoimmune diseases, such as neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), anti-MOG antibody-associated disorder (MOGAD), transverse myelitis (TM), and autoimmune encephalitis.

What Are Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis?

Symptoms of MS can vary widely from patient to patient, and they often fluctuate over time. They can include:

Balance disorders
Bladder or bowel problems
Changes in gait
Cognitive changes
Depression or other emotional changes
Difficulties with muscle coordination or walking
Fatigue
Loss of vision or double vision

Numbness or tingling
Pain
Sexual dysfunction
Slurred speech
Spasticity
Tremors
Weakness

Because the symptoms are so varied from person to person, many people might not recognize the early signs of MS. Also, because these symptoms can be caused by a variety of conditions, patients can have MS raised as a diagnostic possibility when other explanations exist.

How Is Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosed?

There is no single test that can diagnose MS. We must collect information from a variety of tests and imaging studies to find evidence of damage in at least two separate areas of the central nervous system that has occurred at two different times and then rule out other illnesses.

Physicians at the UT Southwestern Clinical Center for Multiple Sclerosis are experts in diagnosing MS and will conduct a careful medical history and a neurologic exam. We might also perform tests, such as:

Blood tests
Evoked potentials (EP)
Optical coherence tomography (OCT)
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Spinal fluid analysis

What Treatments Are Available for Multiple Sclerosis?

UT Southwestern specialists provide individualized, multidisciplinary treatment plans to maximize each person’s abilities and minimize disabilities. A patient’s care team might include:

Clinical nurses
Neurologists
Advanced practice providers (physician assistants and nurse practitioners)
Neuro-ophthalmologists
Neuropsychologists and psychiatrists
Neuroradiologists
Occupational therapists

Physical therapists
Rehabilitation specialists
Social workers
Vertigo and eye movement specialists
Registered dietitians
Urologists

The goal of treatment for each patient is to find the best disease-modifying therapy (DMT) that will prevent future relapses, new MRI lesions, and disability progression. We also empower patients by treating symptoms of MS with medications, nutrition, exercises, and assistive devices.

Personalized treatment plans help patients sustain and improve functionality over the course of their illness, enabling them to participate in more activities and providing hope for their futures.

Over the years, our success rate at putting patients into long-term remission has grown dramatically.

What Support Services Are Offered for Multiple Sclerosis?

The Clinical Center for Multiple Sclerosis works closely with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to help people with MS and their families stay educated about new treatments and new research.