Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-qxdb6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-29T00:33:27.162Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

36 - High-dose methylprednisolone to treat multiple sclerosis

from Section III - Clinical trials of multiple sclerosis therapies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2011

Jeffrey A. Cohen
Affiliation:
Cleveland Clinic
Richard A. Rudick
Affiliation:
Cleveland Clinic
Get access

Summary

Treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) with pulses of high dose methylprednisolone (HDMP) is currently the treatment of choice for MS relapses in many parts of the world. The use of corticosteroids as a treatment for MS was first reported in 1951. There is emerging evidence regarding the benefits of HDMP administered in pulses on the course of MS, either alone or in combination with other disease modifying therapy. HDMP was found to improve Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) better than placebo, with improvements primarily in pyramidal, cerebellar, and sensory systems. In general, corticosteroid toxicity is reduced with short-term pulsed administration of HDMP. Altogether, numerous clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies suggest that HDMP not only has transient beneficial effects on clinical relapses and established areas of inflammation and demyelination, but may also have a prolonged, dose-dependent benefit involving early events in MS lesion formation, lesion propagation, and lesion recovery.
Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×