Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurologic disorder that usually starts between the ages of 20 and 40 years; however, the disease can start in childhood. The natural history of the disease when it starts in childhood has been poorly understood and studied. In this study, researchers in Europe collaborated to look at a larger number of cases to determine how the disease progressed.
The study found that patients with childhood-onset MS take longer to reach stages of irreversible disability than do patients with adult-onset disease; however, they still reach disability at a younger age, approximately 10 years younger than those with adult-onset disease.
