University of Saskatchewan research on Multiple Sclerosis published in The Lancet

The University of Saskatchewan together with the Saskatoon Health Region invites media to attend a question and answer session on recently published Multiple Sclerosis research findings:

Wednesday, October 9
9:30 - 10:30 am
Saskatoon City Hospital
701 Queen Street
(reporters will be met at the front entrance and escorted through the facility)

On Tuesday October 8, The Lancet published an imaging study which reveals no association between venous narrowing and multiple sclerosis, co-authored by Dr. Katherine Knox. The full article can be found at: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)61747-X/abstract
The research results call into question the basis for a controversial theory that MS is associated with a disorder which proponents call chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI). Supporters of this theory, originally published by Zamboni and colleagues in 2009, claim that MS arises where narrowing of the extracranial veins (the veins which lead from the brain to the heart) leads to venous blockages and flow abnormalities, and that some people with MS can be effectively treated by angioplasty treatments to widen the veins, sometimes called the liberation procedure.
According to Dr. Knox, "Our results show that venous narrowing is a frequent finding in the general population, and is not a unique anatomical feature associated with multiple sclerosis. This is the first study to find high rates of venous narrowing in a healthy control group. The study also shows that the ultrasound criteria previously proposed to 'diagnose' CCSVI do not reliably predict venous narrowing."
Dr. Katherine Knox is an Assistant Professor in the College of Medicine's Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Director of the MS Clinic in the Saskatoon Health Region.
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For more information, contact:
Laura Herman
College of Medicine
University of Saskatchewan
306-262-6059
mailto:laura.herman@usask.ca
Linda Walker
Media Relations Consultant
Saskatoon Health Region
306-220-6256
mailto:linda.walker@saskatoonheatlhregion.ca
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