"More research is needed to fully understand the risk of developing MS for people with these brain abnormalities, but it appears that this condition may be a precursor to MS"...

I wonder what they mean by "this condition" and "abnormalties" ...? I guess they might be referring to lesions of some sort, but I know that migraines show similar lesions. Perhaps there is something specific that more clearly indicates MS ...

These people are not Clinically Isolated Syndrome, which to date is the BARE minimum requirement before being put on CRAB. CIS means that they have ALSO shown "outward" or "clinical" evidence of the disease.

So, 30% of this group developed definitive MS within 5 yrs, which means 70% haven't. It doesn't make sense to throw them all on a CRAB though, at least until they have much larger and longer studies to see if the majority (in this case, 29% - 70%) might end up developing MS after 5+ yrs.

As I understand, the rational for starting people on a CRAB early in the disease process, is mostly based on this Betaseron BENEFIT study that showed that in patients with a first clinical demyelinating event and MRI features suggestive of MS . . . "treatment with Betaseron delayed the time to a second clinical event by one year compared to placebo."

http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/berlex/25881/

NOTE: "BENEFIT is the only trial to demonstrate the efficacy of a high dose, high frequency interferon beta, Betaseron, as an effective treatment for patients with early MS."

There seems to be some merit in treating people with CIS (which includes "clinical" evidence of MS!), but I think we need much more information and evidence before we start treating everyone who shows with "abnormalties" that are perhaps suggestive of MS.

Cherie