MS is not a disease that just affects the brain - MS is a disease of the CNS which is the brain and the spine. MS can and does affect one or both of these areas.

If someone has MS affecting the cervical spine more so than the brain I don't think what your looking for will hold up for MS....JMO.

You're right , of course. That is why I said "the big issue" not simply the issue. I should have made that more clear.

As you know, they used to think that MS was a disease of the myelin itself and now they know it is more of a problem in the oligodendrocytes (that produce the myelin), the highest concentration of which are in the brain. And you're right again, if it involves the upper motor neurons (those leaving the brain), we will see the left brain disease affecting the right side. If it involves the lower motor neurons (those occuring after the synapse of the upper motor neurons, where the impulse leaves the spine) then it will affect the same side as the damage.

I was going to try to explain much of this after the thread got going (as an explanation for the various responses...for emphasis), but now that you mentioned it....

The answer to my question will be found in both presentations: Those that have both upper and lower extremeties affected on one side (suggesting upper motor neuron damage) and those that have one or both arms or legs involved, suggesting lower motor neurons involved. It's not quite that clear cut, of course, but I am simply looking for trends here.

Thanks for your input

John

I had optic neuritis before I was diagnosed, but did not loose my sight. Things just got kind of brown looking. This happpened several times, but I don't know if it was one eye more than the other.

However, my left side is definitely more effected from the MS than the right as far as everything else goes. I have weakness in both legs, but far more pronounced in the left.

I also had breast cancer on the left side.

Virginia

Hi, I'm (R) handed, my first MS sx's were (L) neck & arm numbness. At this stage only lesions in c spine. Sx's eventually spread to (R) side.
Several years later I had ON (L) eye, and 3 months after that in the (R) eye - and much worse, but by then I also had brain lesions. Hope this helps.
I'm off to check my (L) breast!

That lesions in the left breast are more common in right handed women,
because they typically carry babies on that side, compress the breast, etc.
Small injuries can be sustained without realizing it.

The majority of women hold infants on the left, close to the heart.
It is an instinctive move.

Right handed women also injure the left breast more often because they may be carrying something and doing a task with the right hand/arm, and the left side then is more exposed.

But you can see from this statistical website that the variation is quite
small. What IS interesting is the favored quadrant, where breast cancer is
found.

Thanks for all of the great responses. This is getting very interesting.

Mrs. D- Thanks for the info. Did you mean to post a statistical Website?

Thank you again for your participation!

John

Dogtor, this is a question about cats. Mine will not sit on my lap unless I have a certain afghan on my lap. Why? She is about 11 months old, I got her from the humane society. She and all her litter mates were raised in a foster home.

She loves to sit on my husbands lap. I guess he is her 'chosen human'. But maybe she just knows that he needs that. When he comes home from work, she is on his lap almost instantly. He sits there and strokes her beautiful fur. Maybe she instinctively knows that he needs that after a hard day at a job that he hates.

Wow!! This is an amazing thread to me for two reasons--1. I just read a link to YOUR site DogtorJ today!! I am now a huge fan! 2. I have celiac disease, fibromyalgia, and iritis in my LEFT eye with recent muscular weakness in my left side that has me thinking a neurological exam is in order. Not thrilled at yet another dx, and am now in a state of denial because I think it is almost certainly MS.
I am so amazed and thrilled to see you on this site -I rarely am on here, but check it out sometimes for new information.

Your personal site has helped me soooo much and I am forever grateful for it. (No, I am not related to the guy, nor is his site any kind of money-making thing people!!)

I forgot to mention that I also have had a large benign yet painful, breast lump removed about four years ago from my LEFT side too! (I am right handed)

I am so glad that you have found the site helpful, Shay. Thank you for your positive comments and your post here. I hope that your diagnosis will be something less serious than MS. BUT, that too can be helped.

Feel free to contact me through my site and I will do everything I can to help you find answers.

John