Multiple sclerosis (MS) flare ups are caused by changes in melatonin levels in the spring and summer seasons, according to findings published in Cell. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts studied 139 patients with relapsing remitting MS in order to determine the relationship between seasonal changes in disease activity in MS and melatonin levels. The investigators examined improvement in symptoms and seasonal factors as proposed links to MS disease activities, such as vitamin D levels, UV incidence, and upper respiratory tract infections.
“We wanted to see what environmental factors would reveal to us about this disease,” study leader Francisco Quintana, PhD, from the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, explained in a press release. “We knew that MS disease activity changed with the seasons.
What we’ve uncovered offers an explanation for why that is the case.” –
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