The management of multiple sclerosis patients

The management of individuals with multiple sclerosis must be considered under the following headings: administration and follow-up of adequate disease-modifying treatment, symptomatic relief and neurorehabilitation. Neurorehabilitation deserves a four-step strategy: multidisciplinary assessment, identification of areas of potential functional improvement, setting of goals of short/long-term duration. and measurement of outcomes. The patient's perspective is important to evaluate through questionnaires about quality of life. Well organized disability services with multidisciplinary specialists are probably cost effective and efficient. Determining the actual economic impact of multiple sclerosis and defining the most cost-effective type of care for persons with multiple sclerosis is a need in all countries faced with the limitation of healthcare resources. In persons with multiple sclerosis the range of main symptoms includes the loss of mobility and spasticity, pain, tremor, abnormal eye movements, paroxysmal symptoms, bladder and bowel dysfunction, sexual disturbances, fatigue and depression. Current palliative treatments, which are reviewed, are partly successful depending on the type of symptoms under consideration. Curl Opin Neurol 13:263-270. (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.