TEMPERATURE SENSITIVITY OF MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS PATIENTS

Abstract

Aggravation of neurological symptoms in MS [multiple sclerosis] patients in heating is well known. This phenomenon is explained by the change of conduction in demyelinated nerve fibers. At raised temperatures conduction block occurs. The threshold of conduction block dependent on temperature is probably proportional to the degree of demyelination. It is possible to inhibit this effect by tyrosine. This model may present a view to a part of neurophysiological mechanisms of MS, on which therapeutic influence could be taken. By way of a questionnaire, 125 MS patients were asked about changes of their symptoms in heating or cooling; 93% had marked sensitivity to heating. In 90%, worsening of neurological symptoms or of general feeling occurred in a hot bath. On the other hand, about half the patients reported improvement in a cold bath. Therefore a noticeable part of neurological deficit is reversible, if one could raise the threshold of the conduction block, which depends on temperature, pH, electrolytes and neurotransmitters.