Shedding light on childhood MS

According to estimates, approximately 100 to 200 childen per year fall ill with multiple sclerosis. Pediatric MS is defined by a disease onset before the age of 16 years. In general, multiple sclerosis in childhood and adolescence is the same disease as in adults. However, since specific clinical studies are still lacking, it is yet unknown whether there are age-dependent characteristic symptoms, disease course or therapeutic measures. At present physicians use adult treatment guidelines for the therapy of pediatric MS. That must change!

CHILDREN^MS has therefore taken on the task of establishing a patient registry for children with multiple sclerosis. In this way the incidence of childhood MS in Germany as well as the spectrum of disease course in young patients will be determined.

International linking of data

Physicians will be the first to profit from the data collection, later on scientists and patients will have online access to the registry. In the long term the project has been designed so that the databank can be expanded to include other countries. To this end CHILDREN^MS keeps in close contact to European and international research networks.

Prof. Dr. Jutta Gärtner is the coordinator of CHILDREN^MS. Her deputy coordinator is Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Brück (both located the University Medical Center Goettingen).