Demyelinating Diseases

Lying in an ICU bed as sick as he could get, Jon Bratsch thought he was past the point of no return. But when a Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ test revealed the source of his dire symptoms, everything changed. Today, Jon’s back to the life and family he loves.

In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Sean Pittock, M.D., explains Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) and the critical importance of a sensitive and specific AQP4-IgG laboratory test for early diagnosis and treatment.

Antibodies to aquaporin-4 and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) are recently described biomarkers seen in a subset of atypical optic neuritis which have revolutionized our understanding of the condition. In this “Hot Topic,” my colleague, Dr. John Chen, will review these advances and how they impact the clinical care of our patients with optic neuritis.

"This study offers hope to patients, since each attack in NMO can cause loss of visual or motor function," says Sean Pittock, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and first author.