Christina Applegate says she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis

Christina Applegate, a famous actress, she says she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis and is now back to square one. So joining us to break all of this down is the Chief Health and Medical Affairs Officer with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Dr. Bruce Bebo, who is joining us now. We're so glad that he's able to be with us today just to shed some light on this situation, but also raise awareness for multiple sclerosis. Doctor, thanks for being with us today. Thanks for having me. Of course, we're so glad that you're able to be here. So, you know, this news was really surprising today that came out that Christina Applegate says she was misdiagnosed. Tell us a little bit about your first thoughts on this situation. Well, of course, I can't speak to the specifics about her medical care or diagnosis, but But her story really raises an important issue, and that's about getting the diagnosis and getting the diagnosis right, and it really matters a lot. Whether the answer is ultimately MS or it's something else, people experiencing significant neurologic symptoms, they deserve an accurate diagnosis and a clear explanation. And MS can be difficult to diagnose. It's like putting the pieces of a puzzle together. isn't a single test that gives us the right answer. Yeah, tell us a little bit about multiple sclerosis and just the toll that it takes on someone when they are diagnosed. Right, so MS is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. And for reasons we're still learning, the immune system attacks specifically the insulation around nerve fibers in your brain and your spinal cord and your optic nerve. And destroying those nerve fibers leads to a whole myriad of neurologic symptoms. And it depends on where those lesions are and lots of variables what the symptoms look like. So they can affect the visual system and affect your vision. They can affect, let's say, your balance and your gait. They can affect your cognition. And of course, they can affect your ability to move and walk. And doctor, what are some of the tests that are done to help determine and diagnose if someone is potentially suffering from MS? Right, so again, there's not one test that gives us an answer. So what doctors do is they look at a person's symptoms, they perform a neurologic exam, they'll look at, use a tool called magnetic resonance imaging to take a picture of the brain And sometimes they'll look for different markers in the spinal fluid or sometimes in the blood. And the challenge is that these symptoms associated with MS can occur in other conditions. The abnormalities that appear on these MRI scans can sometimes appear in other conditions. So you just have to kind of put all these pieces together. Yeah, there is so much awareness that folks raise out there for those who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Tell us a little bit more about the work and the mission behind the National MS Society. Well, first we really applaud Ms. Applegate's work in creating awareness of MS through her entire journey, including the challenges she's had with her diagnosis. The National MS Society is the largest patient advocacy organization in the United States and even in the world that supports research programs and support for people with MS and advocates for change in policies and laws to help improve the quality of life for people living with MS. Yeah, and we know, of course, some other notable actors, actresses, public figures have MS, including Selma Blair. I'm sure that, you know, you mentioned it with Christina Applegate, but them talking about it and when people share their stories, I imagine that helps others dealing with it. What have you seen when it comes to, you know, people speaking out and sharing and talking about it? Yeah, we really appreciate the awareness that creates for MS. It helps create awareness of the signs and symptoms for MS and perhaps helps get people diagnosed earlier and gets them on a treatment, a disease-modifying therapy for MS earlier, which we know has improved outcomes for people living with MS, creating awareness of the The National MS Society can help people get access to programs, support, and navigation services that we provide to help people navigate this really challenging diagnosis. Yeah. What types of medications and therapies and treatments are available for individuals who are diagnosed? Yeah, thanks for that question. And so we've made tremendous progress in the development of disease modifying therapies for MS. And we have over 20 disease modifying therapies for MS that have dramatically reduced the burden of disease for many people. What we are still lacking are in disease modifying therapies that address the more progressive form of MS. So there are two forms of MS or manifestations of MS. One is more episodic and relapsing and inflammatory, and one is more progressive and slowly evolving. And the disease-modifying therapies we have now really are good at addressing that relapsing form of MS, but not as good at addressing the more progressive form of MS. And that's where we are really focused on accelerating research that leads to insights that hopefully will soon lead to treatments for that more difficult to treat form of disease. Yeah, and we know Christina Applegate was diagnosed originally back in 2021. So she's gone about five years with that diagnosis that she now says was a misdiagnosis. Is there anything that you would suggest if maybe patients out there aren't convinced? When is maybe a good time to seek a second opinion. Yeah, so maybe share one quick insight with you that the diagnostic criteria for MS were refined just last year and published just last year. And these new diagnostic criteria include new MRI technology and other technology and insights that is leading to earlier and hopefully more accurate diagnosis. So that's one message I think I'd like to share is that there's more hope than ever that we are getting better at diagnosing MS earlier and more accurately. I think I'm creating awareness of what some of the early signs and symptoms of MS are. So that one of the places that when people have a long diagnostic odyssey that people get hung up on is seeking health care. having some of these symptoms that Ms. Applegate shared with us so publicly, having those symptoms and addressing them and seeking health care would be a message I would share and really thank Ms. Applegate for her awareness around that. Mm-hmm. I have to ask, too, with the Chicago Marathon happening just a couple weekends ago, I know a lot of people ran for this particular cause. What does that mean to your organization and to people living with MS everywhere when people do lace up their sneakers and they head out and they do a marathon, whether it's Chicago or another one, and they raise money for this very cause? Well, it's really awesome. And we really appreciate everyone who laces up their shoes or Whether it's a marathon or a bike ride or a walk or whatever mechanism you choose, that support, the funds that are raised in those events go to support our mission, which is to further advance research, to get better treatments and eventually a cure for MS, to provide programs and support for people that are living with MS now. and support our advocacy policy work to break down some of the barriers that get in the way of people living their best lives with MS. So I would share with you that I have a personal connection to MS. My mom was diagnosed with MS many years ago, which is why I dedicated my life to this work. And I'm personally grateful to everyone that laces up their shoes and share my gratitude on behalf of the entire National MS Society and the community of people that we serve. Thank you so much for sharing that personal story. Is there anything else that you would like our viewers to know? Just that we appreciate the support or the awareness that Ms. Applegate has provided. I wish her well in her journey to hopefully figure out what's causing her challenges and get get treatment for that. And appreciate the support of the entire community to raise awareness and funds for the important work that we do. Yeah, thank you so much, doctor. We're so appreciative that you took the time to join us today on Chicago Live. Thanks, nice to be with you.