Aa
One thing I don't understand about lesions...
My first MRI was done only 6 months after truly noticable symptoms, but it showed "extensive" lesions. Too many to count apparently. Big fat ones and inbetween-sized ones all over the place.
Aside from the fact I can now look back and ask myself if particular bouts of pain/ odd feeling/ whatever over the decade prior could have been MS symtoms, howcome I could have a myriad of lesions with almost no symptoms while others have heaps of symptoms and hardly any lesions?
Does anyone know? I've read the health pages, btw...:P
Jemm
Aside from the fact I can now look back and ask myself if particular bouts of pain/ odd feeling/ whatever over the decade prior could have been MS symtoms, howcome I could have a myriad of lesions with almost no symptoms while others have heaps of symptoms and hardly any lesions?
Does anyone know? I've read the health pages, btw...:P
Jemm
COMMUNITY LEADER
Doh!
That should read...... eg audio filtering if working inefficiently, means every little sound gets through the filters and overwhelms the senses.
JJ
That should read...... eg audio filtering if working inefficiently, means every little sound gets through the filters and overwhelms the senses.
JJ
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hey Jemm,
I think brain plasticity plays an important role, our brains do have the ability to redirect a signal, when there is damage to that signals route. Its not actually that simple, sometimes lesions cluster together or to big a piece of the brain is damaged say from a stroke, then the signal may not be able to find a way to get through. New cells can be wired up in new and different ways depending on what your brain is doing. It was only about 10 years ago that science could prove it, in text books older than 10 years it was taught that you die with the same brain your born with, growing new brain cells was impossible, we now know that to be untrue, technology shows the brain is constantly changing!
Brain training does work, "use it or loose it" basically comes down to the laying down of new cells, as you loose cells our efficient brains replace only the new ones you need, which effectively means you loose what you dont use. Diseases that target the brain, such as MS create glitches that the normal brain doesn't have to work around, i see lesions as road blocks to work around until you reach a dead end.
Gifted brains and ADD brains have one thing in common, brain imaging shows that both types are firing all over the place, more active than the normal brain, why the gifted brain gets the 'Eureka' moments and the ADD brain gets confused and lost, is anyones guess but i'm thinking its all down to those pesky cell connections. I also have a theory that the Autistic brain has signals that are crossed so to speak, eg audio filtering if working efficiently, means every little sound gets through the filters and overwhelms the senses. The normal brain tunes in or out necessary functions, the autistic brain is in a constant state of flight or fight, self protection is to tune out, everyone does it but the autistic has so much more to protect themselves from.
Something i've always been fascinated in is the brain, how can someone see sounds, how can someone understand language but have no functioning language, my list of intrigue is endless lol. Understanding how the brain works is fascinating, endless possibilities with or with out lesions, the spinal lesions though are more like dead ends, there isn't enough there to play around with.
I like to think science will continue to prove or disprove what we believe to be true, though i'm comfortable in hanging my hat on brain plasticity because i've seen it in action for over 30 years, long before science could prove its validity. So on that scope, i think if you've got a truck load of lesions in your brain and minimal 'problematic' symptoms, then your brain has been able to work around those roadblocks enough to hide the disease from you.
Cheers........JJ
I think brain plasticity plays an important role, our brains do have the ability to redirect a signal, when there is damage to that signals route. Its not actually that simple, sometimes lesions cluster together or to big a piece of the brain is damaged say from a stroke, then the signal may not be able to find a way to get through. New cells can be wired up in new and different ways depending on what your brain is doing. It was only about 10 years ago that science could prove it, in text books older than 10 years it was taught that you die with the same brain your born with, growing new brain cells was impossible, we now know that to be untrue, technology shows the brain is constantly changing!
Brain training does work, "use it or loose it" basically comes down to the laying down of new cells, as you loose cells our efficient brains replace only the new ones you need, which effectively means you loose what you dont use. Diseases that target the brain, such as MS create glitches that the normal brain doesn't have to work around, i see lesions as road blocks to work around until you reach a dead end.
Gifted brains and ADD brains have one thing in common, brain imaging shows that both types are firing all over the place, more active than the normal brain, why the gifted brain gets the 'Eureka' moments and the ADD brain gets confused and lost, is anyones guess but i'm thinking its all down to those pesky cell connections. I also have a theory that the Autistic brain has signals that are crossed so to speak, eg audio filtering if working efficiently, means every little sound gets through the filters and overwhelms the senses. The normal brain tunes in or out necessary functions, the autistic brain is in a constant state of flight or fight, self protection is to tune out, everyone does it but the autistic has so much more to protect themselves from.
Something i've always been fascinated in is the brain, how can someone see sounds, how can someone understand language but have no functioning language, my list of intrigue is endless lol. Understanding how the brain works is fascinating, endless possibilities with or with out lesions, the spinal lesions though are more like dead ends, there isn't enough there to play around with.
I like to think science will continue to prove or disprove what we believe to be true, though i'm comfortable in hanging my hat on brain plasticity because i've seen it in action for over 30 years, long before science could prove its validity. So on that scope, i think if you've got a truck load of lesions in your brain and minimal 'problematic' symptoms, then your brain has been able to work around those roadblocks enough to hide the disease from you.
Cheers........JJ
Man, I have just a few lesions and plenty to show for them.
Cerebellar lesions are usually important and usually very vocal in balance and coordination.
Q
Cerebellar lesions are usually important and usually very vocal in balance and coordination.
Q
I've noticed that people with lots of lesions seem to have less trouble with their symptoms. Fewer lesions doesn't necessarily mean less damage, though - MS disease activity is axon breakage, not just lesion formation.
I've got a lesion in my right cerebellum, some ventricle enhancement, and T2 punctate lesions. (Of course, that was 2007 - no telling what's going on now.) But I had all sorts of symptoms - cog fog, tingling, burning, numbness, muscle weakness, things that made me wonder if I was going insane! The only symptom that was also on the MRI was the cerebellum lesion - it affected my right side.
Of course, the MRI is only a small part of the picture. A 3T MRI can pick up 40% more detail than a 1.5T MRI. So whatever the MRI is showing you almost certainly isn't the whole story.
I've got a lesion in my right cerebellum, some ventricle enhancement, and T2 punctate lesions. (Of course, that was 2007 - no telling what's going on now.) But I had all sorts of symptoms - cog fog, tingling, burning, numbness, muscle weakness, things that made me wonder if I was going insane! The only symptom that was also on the MRI was the cerebellum lesion - it affected my right side.
Of course, the MRI is only a small part of the picture. A 3T MRI can pick up 40% more detail than a 1.5T MRI. So whatever the MRI is showing you almost certainly isn't the whole story.
There is so much of our brain that we don't use - that is why neuroplasticity is possible. The empty real estate can be rewired to work to handle our deficits.
I'm another lucky duck - lots of lesions in my brain, but few symptoms that correlate with them.
best,
Lu
I'm another lucky duck - lots of lesions in my brain, but few symptoms that correlate with them.
best,
Lu
Well said Lulu, I have wondered the same thing...I have lots and lots of symptoms with very few lesions.
My neuro explained to me that it depends on where the lesions are that play a part in the symptoms. My recent MRI showed lesions in my C-spine so that explains why when I bend my head I get the electric shock down my leg.
The few lesions I do have in my brain are on the right side so that explains the problems with the left side of my body.
MS is a difficult disease to understand, there are so many symptoms and no two people are alike with the symptoms.
My neuro explained to me that it depends on where the lesions are that play a part in the symptoms. My recent MRI showed lesions in my C-spine so that explains why when I bend my head I get the electric shock down my leg.
The few lesions I do have in my brain are on the right side so that explains the problems with the left side of my body.
MS is a difficult disease to understand, there are so many symptoms and no two people are alike with the symptoms.
Cool thanks girls. Now I get it!
It's just as well that all those lesions don't cause symptoms I reckon! Some areas of my brain look like a machine gun has been let loose. I can't imagine I would be sitting here writing this if all of them caused symptoms!
Cheers
Jemm
It's just as well that all those lesions don't cause symptoms I reckon! Some areas of my brain look like a machine gun has been let loose. I can't imagine I would be sitting here writing this if all of them caused symptoms!
Cheers
Jemm
I wrote this in my journal back in 2008 - I hope it helps...........
A Shot in the Dark - Why lesions don't necessarily make me feel bad
When I saw my neuro for my MS diagnosis, he gave me an excellent analogy of what was happening in my brain with my lesions and my symptoms and why it was so important to start on a disease modifying drug now rather than wait. Here is the lesson he shared with me -
Look around the room and find a wall that has a light switch on it. Now imagine what is inside that wall leading to the switch - there are wires but there is also a lot of other space that controls nothing.
Imagine you have a gun and start firing into that wall. How many shots can you take before you actually hit some of that wiring in the wall and turn the power to the switch off?
Our brains and those pesky MS lesions are the same. Not all of those lesions are wired to parts of our brain that control switches to our body functions. But the more lesions we have the greater the chance of one hitting the critical wiring and flipping a switch.
Taking the DMD's doesn't take away the symptoms we already have, but it is our current best hope of stopping future lesions from developing and turning our lights out.
A Shot in the Dark - Why lesions don't necessarily make me feel bad
When I saw my neuro for my MS diagnosis, he gave me an excellent analogy of what was happening in my brain with my lesions and my symptoms and why it was so important to start on a disease modifying drug now rather than wait. Here is the lesson he shared with me -
Look around the room and find a wall that has a light switch on it. Now imagine what is inside that wall leading to the switch - there are wires but there is also a lot of other space that controls nothing.
Imagine you have a gun and start firing into that wall. How many shots can you take before you actually hit some of that wiring in the wall and turn the power to the switch off?
Our brains and those pesky MS lesions are the same. Not all of those lesions are wired to parts of our brain that control switches to our body functions. But the more lesions we have the greater the chance of one hitting the critical wiring and flipping a switch.
Taking the DMD's doesn't take away the symptoms we already have, but it is our current best hope of stopping future lesions from developing and turning our lights out.
Jemm,
I started to answer this knowing what I meant to say, then lost it. I remember learning here on the forum how I could have had a brain MRI in 2008 with 30 - 40 lesions, most likely the result of 20+ years of MS, and only have showed symptoms worthy of having that MRI done.
I found the health page that helped me, then couldn't paraphrase it to make a brief statement. The first couple of paragraphs explain it well.
There is one of Quix's Health Pages that says it best:
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/Lesions-vs-Symptoms/show/61?cid=36
I started to answer this knowing what I meant to say, then lost it. I remember learning here on the forum how I could have had a brain MRI in 2008 with 30 - 40 lesions, most likely the result of 20+ years of MS, and only have showed symptoms worthy of having that MRI done.
I found the health page that helped me, then couldn't paraphrase it to make a brief statement. The first couple of paragraphs explain it well.
There is one of Quix's Health Pages that says it best:
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/Lesions-vs-Symptoms/show/61?cid=36
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