b"AAllpphhaabbeettSSoouuppAAGGuuiiddeettooNNeewwTTeerrmmiinnoollooggyyiinnMMSSThe language of MS is changing. New clinicalsignsandbiomarkersarebeingidentified.Hereisalexiconwithquick, simplied denitions to keep you up-to-dateOwith the latest news and advancements inOCCTTOOppttiiccaallCCoohheerreenncceeTToommooggrraapphhyythe MS eld. OCTisarapid,noninvasiveimaging C techniquethatcanmeasureretinalnerve CVVSSCCeennttrraallVVeeiinnSSiiggnn fiberthinning,whichmayindicateMS, The central vein sign is the presence of awhether or not a person has experienced vein in the center of a lesion. MS lesions tendoptic neuritis. It may also prove to be an to form around these small veins, where otherindicator of MS progression. conditions that cause lesions dont typically doPRLParamagnetic Rim Lesionso. This strongly indicates the presence of MS.A specic type of lesion that appear as a GFFAPGlial Fibrillary Acidic Protein dic Proteindark, ring-like structure surrounding a brighter GFAP is a protein primarily found inarea on MRI scans. PRLs are thought to be a astrocytes, cells in the brain and spinal cord,marker of chronic, smoldering inammation and its levels can increase when these cellswithin the brain in MS. The dark rim is because are activated or damaged. Research indicatesof the presence of iron, which is paramagnetic that elevated GFAP levels in the blood may(meaning it's affected by magnetic fields), beassociatedwithdiseaseprogressioninaccumulating in microglia (immune cells) at peoplewithMS.SomeMSspecialistsarethe lesion's edge. monitoring GFAP and other biomarkers withsNFLSerum NeuroollaammeennttLLiigghhttCChhaaiinnuse of blood tests. sNFL is a protein fragment that is released kFFLLC KKaappppaaFFree Light Chaininto the bloodstream when nerve cells (neurons) kFLCs are produced by B cells and are aare damaged. Elevated levels of sNfL in blood component of antibodies that can be foundare increasingly recognized as a potential in the cerebrospinal uid. Elevated levels arebiomarkerforMS,indicatingongoing associatedwithMS.kFLCsinspinaluidneurodegeneration. Like GFAP, some MS may be considered in the diagnosis process,specialists are already using this and other as well as oligoclonal bands (OCBs).biomarkerswithregularbloodtestingto monitor MS activity.We Want to Hear From YouIf you have tips and suggestions for making life easier with MS wed love to hear them! Email us at: editor@msfocus.org.7 msfocusmagazine.org"