More CCSVI Info

The momentum behind the Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) theory of MS really seems to be picking up steam. Though not yet covered extensively in the American press, in Europe and Canada print and television journalists have eagerly picked up on the topic.

I'll continue to post intelligent links to CCSVI info as I come across them, and as more studies get started, I'm hopeful that the theory will move into the realm of fact. As of now, I will remain optimistic but skeptical. I've seen many other MS "miracles" turn into faerie dust, but my gut tells me that there really is something to CCSVI.

Here's a link to a news piece on CCSVI from CBC radio, in Canada. It's an interview with Dr. Samuel Ludwin, a professor of neuropathology at Queen's University who's been researching Multiple Sclerosis for over 30 years. Though cautious, he does express enthusiasm for the radical new idea that MS may in fact have a heavy vascular component.

One of the problems I've had in fully embracing CCSVI is the fact that it doesn't account for the almost certain association of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with MS. Numerous studies have shown that people who are not infected with EBV do not get MS. Here's a letter to the editor of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry that postulates a convincing link between EBV and CCSVI.

We may be witnessing a shifting in the paradigm of the understanding of Multiple Sclerosis...