Scholarship Description
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that usually affects young and middle-aged adults and causes a considerable social and economic burden. During recent years MS has become one of the most common reasons for admissions to a neurological ward. Now MS is recognized throughout the world, with around 2.5 million affected individuals. Although the disease was recognized in the 19th century, there were limited data on the diagnosis, pathophysiology, and management of MS for the last 50 years. With every step of progress in immunology, imaging and biotechnology, there was indeed progress in our understanding of etiology and diagnosis of this potentially disabling disease. Even with such an amazing progress in technology, the exact etiology and absolute cure for MS is not known yet; thus, MS has been the focus of interest in clinical and basic science research in the past decades. Hundreds of MS research groups, centers and clinics are conducting research on this field ranging from animal studies to human clinical trials. Due to their interests and efforts, MS has become a partially treatable disease with the introduction of the drugs that are able to reduce annual relapse rates and delay disability.
MS management starts with diagnosis and continues with strategies to control relapses, increasing quality of life of the patients, symptomatic treatments and rehabilitation. With our progress in this field, management of different patients has become more complicated and in some cases needs special training. These facts led the pioneer MS research centers around the world to start special MS training programs for neurologists for better management and addressing of the ever-growing issues about understanding, diagnosis and treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. The moderate to high prevalence of MS in Iran (20-50 in 100,000) has led the local neurologist to pay special attention to patient management and research. Tehran University of Medical Sciences, as the leading medical university in Iran provides 18 months of advanced training in diagnosis, treatment and clinical research in Multiple Sclerosis. This Fellowship program is conducted under the supervision of neurologists specialized in MS atTehran University of Medical Sciences and the invited authorities from other countries.
