When people think about multiple sclerosis, they don’t often think about the eye, but vision problems are often the first signs of MS. The disease is caused by an aberrant immune response that attacks the central nervous system, which includes the brain, the spinal cord, and the optic nerve. And the optic nerve is where MS often reveals itself. Dr. Barbara Giesser specializes in the treatment of MS patients. She turns to her colleague, neuro-ophthalmologist Dr. Howard Krauss, for confirmation of early suspected MS diagnosis.

Using a powerful imaging technology called optical coherence tomography, Krauss can see changes in the optic nerve long before an MRI scan would pick up evidence of MS in nerves elsewhere in the body. Monitoring the optic nerve after a diagnosis gives valuable clues as to whether MS treatments are working. Listen to this discussion to learn more about how this unlikely partnership is changing lives, and how, when it comes to MS, the eye truly is a window onto the body.

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