NORD's
Washington Office
 Read about events on Capitol Hill, funding for rare-disease research, and other topics of interest from NORD's office in Washington, DC.
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"Resources" on this report.
Copyright 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Synonyms of Multiple Sclerosis
- Demyelinating Disease
- Disseminated Sclerosis
- MS
- Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis
- Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis
Disorder Subdivisions
General Discussion
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic neuroimmunologic (both the nervous system and the immunological system are involved) disorder of the central nervous system involving the brain, spinal chord and optic nerves. By means of a mechanism not clearly understood, the protective fatty, insulating substance called myelin sheath that covers the nerve is destroyed. The inflammatory attacks that produce the characteristic scarring (plaques or patches) of the myelin sheath occur randomly, vary in intensity, and at multiple sites. The course of the disease may advance, relapse, remit, or stabilize. The randomness of the location of plaques or patches affects the nerve’s ability to transmit information (neurotransmission) and causes a wide range of neurological symptoms, which may vary from person to person.
Recently it has been learned that the nerve fibers themselves, (axons), in addition to the myelin sheaths, are affected by the neuroimmunologic attacks. Damage to the nerve cells may be irreversible. As a result, clinicians recommend early intervention with one of the disease-modifying agents (see below).
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Organizations related to Multiple Sclerosis
- American Association of Neurological Surgeons
5550 Meadowbrook Drive
Rolling Meadows IL 60008-3852
Phone #: 847-378-0500
800 #: 888-566-2267
e-mail: info@aans.org
Home page: http://www.NeurosurgeryToday.org
- American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Inc.
22100 Gratiot Avenue
Eastpointe MI 48021
Phone #: 586-776-3900
800 #: 800-598-4668
e-mail: aarda@aarda.org
Home page: http://www.aarda.org/
- AutoImmunity Community
None
None None None
Phone #: (91-9) -552-9057
800 #: N/A
e-mail: bandrews@autoimmunitycommunity.org
Home page: http://autoimmunitycommunity.org
- Autoimmune Information Network, Inc
PO Box 4121
Brick NJ 08723
Phone #: 732-664-9259
800 #: N/A
e-mail: autoimmunehelp@aol.com
Home page: http://www.aininc.org
- Child Neurology Foundation
2000 West 98th Street
Bloomington MN 55431
Phone #: 952-641-6100
800 #: 800-263-5430
e-mail: jstone@childneurologyfoundation.org
Home page: http://www.childneurologyfoundation.org
- Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation
636 Morris Turnpike, Suite 3A
Short Hills NJ 07078
Phone #: 973-379-2690
800 #: 800-225-0292
e-mail: prc@ChristopherReeve.org
Home page: http://www.christopherreeve.org
- Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers
359 Main Street, Suite A
Hackensack NJ 07601
Phone #: 201-487-1050
800 #: --
e-mail: info@mscare.org
Home page: http://www.mscare.org
- European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID)
c/o Dr. Bodo Grimbacher (ESID Board Member)
Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology
Department of Medicine, University Hospital Freiburg
Hugstetter Strasse 55
Freiburg None D-79106
Phone #: +31- 73--6992965
800 #: N/A
e-mail: info@esid.org
Home page: http://www.esid.org
- Genetic and Rare Diseases (GARD) Information Center
PO Box 8126
Gaithersburg MD 20898-8126
Phone #: 301-251-4925
800 #: 888-205-2311
e-mail: ordr@od.nih.gov
Home page: http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/Default.aspx
- MUMS (Mothers United for Moral Support, Inc) National Parent-to-Parent Network
150 Custer Court
Green Bay WI 54301-1243
Phone #: 920-336-5333
800 #: 877-336-5333
e-mail: mums@netnet.net
Home page: http://www.netnet.net/mums/
- Madisons Foundation
PO Box 241956
Los Angeles CA 90024
Phone #: 310-264-0826
800 #: N/A
e-mail: getinfo@madisonsfoundation.org
Home page: http://www.madisonsfoundation.org
- Multiple Sclerosis Association of America
706 Haddonfield Road
Cherry Hill NJ 08002
Phone #: --
800 #: 800-532-7667
e-mail: msaa@msaa.com
Home page: http://www.msaa.com
- Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
6350 N. Andrews Ave.
Ft. Lauderdale FL 33309-2130
Phone #: 954-776-6805
800 #: 888-673-6287
e-mail: Alan@msfocus.org
Home page: http://www.msfocus.org
- Multiple Sclerosis International Federation
3rd Floor Skyline House
200 Union Street
London Intl SE1 0LX
Phone #: +44- (0-)20 7620 1911
800 #: --
e-mail: info@msif.org
Home page: http://www.msif.org
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
P.O. Box 5801
Bethesda MD 20824
Phone #: 301-496-5751
800 #: 800-352-9424
e-mail: me20t@nih.gov
Home page: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society
733 Third Ave.
Suite 660
Washington DC 20005
Phone #: 202-408-1500
800 #: 800-344-4867
e-mail: aholland@Ctfightsms.org
Home page: http://www.nationalmssociety.org
- New Horizons Un-Limited, Inc.
811 East Wisconsin Ave
Suite 937
Milwaukee WI 53202
Phone #: 414-299-0124
800 #: N/A
e-mail: horizons@new-horizons.org
Home page: http://www.new-horizons.org
- PLAN Institute for Caring Citizenship
260-3665 Kingsway
Vancouver
British Columbia None V5R 5W2
Phone #: 604--43-9-9566
800 #: N/A
e-mail: inquiries@planinstitute.ca
Home page: http://www.planinstitute.ca/?q=learnfromus/library
- Spastic Paraplegia Foundation
212 Farm Rd
Woburn MA Sherborn
Phone #: N/A
800 #: 877-773-4483
e-mail: info@sp-foundation.org
Home page: http://sp-foundation.org
- Stem Cell Research Foundation
22512 Gateway Center Drive
Clarksburg MD 20871
Phone #: 877-842-3442
800 #: N/A
e-mail: info@stemcellresearchfoundation.org
Home page: http://www.stemcellresearchfoundation.org
- Vasculitis of the Central Nervous System
vasculitisoftheCNS@yahoogroups.com
None None None
Phone #: 770-978-5636
800 #: --
e-mail: SunnyBrook222@aol.com
Home page: http://www.VasculitisoftheCNS@yahoogroups.com
- WE MOVE (Worldwide Education and Awareness for Movement Disorders)
204 West 84th Street
New York NY 10024
Phone #: 212-875-8312
800 #: N/A
e-mail: wemove@wemove.org
Home page: http://www.wemove.org
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