A different approach to hair analysis: Application to multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Hair samples from Canada, China, India and New Zealand were analyzed by neutron activation analysis. Comparison of the percent manganese in the alkali-soluble fraction of hair with the total manganese concentrations shows that, within groups, the percent manganese concentrations is relatively constant whereas overall concentrations are not. For multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, from Canada and New Zealand, very highly significant differences were observed, between controls and patients, for %Mn in the alkali-soluble fraction.