Use of telemedicine to assist in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis from a clinically isolated syndrome

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological autoimmune disease that affects nearly 100,000 Canadians between the ages of 20 and 49 [1]. The disease damages myelin, a protective layer surrounding nerves, which causes irreversible damage to the central nervous system (CNS) [1]. Common symptoms for patients with MS include vision impairment, loss of coordination, and cognitive impairment. As of 2015, the life expectancy of MS patients is approximately 7 years shorter than the general population, with a cause of death due to the disease itself or related conditions such as infections [1, 2]. Despite the significant global prevalence of MS and its severity, no cure has been discovered, and instead all approved treatments merely aim to slow down disease progression [1]. As such, timely diagnosis of MS is critical to minimize the more severe symptoms early in life [3].