But following these acute attacks, patients with Relapse-Remitting MS enjoy periods of recovery where normal functioning can occur. The second type of MS diagnosis is called Primary-Progressive. With this rare form of MS, patients experience no sharp turns in severity. Rather, the disease becomes slowly but progressively worsened as it matures. The third type of MS is considered to be a minor, variation of another. Secondary-Progressive MS affects about half of people with Relapsing-Remitting MS within 10 years of diagnosis. This form of the disease is often affected by disease-modifying drugs, although research is not available to show its impact. The final form of MS is Progressive-Relapsing. Though it is the rarest of the subcategories of MS, it is often considered the most incapacitating. Like the progressive forms, Progressive-Relapsing MS steadily worsens with in the patient. But what sets this type apart from others is the relapses, which are much like Relapsing-Remitting MS. And in addition to this, between relapses, there is no period of normal functioning "the disease constantly progresses and matures. Although MS is a clearly diagnosed disease, the forms can affect people very differently.
The anatomy of MS is very complex in its effects on the nervous system. MS is an autoimmune disease which affects the Central Nervous System. In the Central Nervous System, individual neurons carry signals to various parts of the body, which makes movement possible. Each individual nerve fiber or neuron is encased in a tissue called myelin. This tissue serves a vital role in the functioning of the nervous system. It protects the neuron, and helps the nerve carry impulses. With MS, a person's myelin mysteriously is lost and replaced with scar tissue. In areas where this happens, called lesions, the neuron itself can also be damaged. When the neuron cannot properly conduct impulses, the signals to the brain are altered.
