Comparison of Multiple Sclerosis Incidence Clinical and ABR Data Indicates a Higher Degree of Dissemination of Lesions in a Progressive than in a Remitting Course

Abstract

Robinson and Rudge (1977, 1980) found that patients uith definite MS often (24/32) have ABR (Auditory Brain Stem Response) pathology. The proportion uas louer (9/20) in the MS probable group, and much louer in the patients uithout a brain stem lesion. However, 70-80$ of MS patients uith brain stem lesions had pathological ABR independent of their diagnostic probability. ABR seems to be someuhat more sensitive to de- myelinating than to vascular lesions (Rudge 1983). Matthews et al, (1977) found a very lou incidence of abnormal evoked potentials uith a single episode of acute neurological (AN) disease resembling MS. Chiappa et al. (1980) reported on normal ABR in optic neuritis and in transverse myelitis. Rudge (1983) stated that MS patients uithout relapses have a remarkably stable ABR. Houever, high frequencies of evoked response abnormalities in suspected and possible MS (52%) uere reported by Kjaer (1983). Such discrepancies are difficult to evaluate uithout detailed longtudinal clinical data. A relationship has been found betueen increased duration or severity of MS and increased incidence of ABR pathology (Kjaer 1980)