Pulivendula scholar receives Ph.D
Dr Ali's research, conducted under Prof N Devanna, focused on detecting genotoxic impurities in drugs using LC-MS/MS. He published eight papers in reputed international journals. He dedicated his achievement to his late father, while his family expressed immense pride.
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The Hindu
5 days ago
- The Hindu
Why multiple sclerosis remains under-diagnosed in India, and what needs to change
Multiple Sclerosis, by its core definition, is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. This disease leads the immune system to mistakenly attack the myelin sheath, the fatty layer responsible for giving the brain's white matter its distinctive colour, disrupting the transmission of signals across motor, sensory, visual, cognitive, and autonomic systems. This leads to commonly-experienced symptoms such as unexplained weaknesses, tingling sensations, sensitivity to heat and numbness in the feet- and due to easy dismissal arising from the commonality of these symptoms, many individuals with multiple sclerosis remain undiagnosed, further worsening the brain and body's condition. These unchecked symptoms could lead to them experiencing a relapse - a sudden onset of these symptoms, the intensity of which differs from case to case. The burden of under-diagnosis The issue is lack of awareness around this rare disease: as estimated by the Multiple Sclerosis Society of India (MSSI), the approximate number of persons with MS in India is close to 1.8 lakh. However, only about 35% of these cases are diagnosed and registered through organisations such as MSSI. Therefore, a whopping 65% of this number may be living with undiagnosed multiple sclerosis, suggesting that they suffer silently, without proper support, and are uninformed about the root cause behind their symptoms. Studies indicate that both physical and mental aspects of health are deeply affected, causing depression, physical disability and fatigue, leading to an overall drop in quality of life. The heat factor According to a 2024 survey, 80% of Indians between ages 18 to 50 experience at least one symptom of stress on a regular basis, with women being disproportionately affected. This, coupled with India being geographically positioned in a high temperature zone, and the fact that women are more susceptible to MS suggests that Indian women between the ages 18 to 50 may have the highest chances of suffering from undiagnosed multiple sclerosis. MS also afflicts males, and they too may suffer relapses worsened by the same triggers, though generally at a lower prevalence and with varied presentation across age groups and heat exposure. Adding to this, men with MS may experience more severe neurodegeneration and cognitive symptoms - although the root cause remains unclear. Men are shown to have higher chances of being diagnosed with primary progressive MS (PPMS). This type of MS is characterised by a lack of remissions and symptoms that don't improve. Most Indians therefore, undergo MS relapses triggered not just by stress, but also by infections, and prolonged heat. Dismissal of symptoms due to their commonality in nature is not the only factor behind the high ratio between diagnosed and undiagnosed populations affected by MS; lack of awareness among the public and healthcare providers, uneven access to specialist neurologists and MRI diagnostics, and limited data systems for tracking the disease nationwide all contribute to the problem. A scalable solution To bridge this gap, especially in rural settings, one scalable solution is through using the National Health Mission's Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) worker network. Nearly one million ASHAs already engage with rural communities, track symptoms, and help people seek care. Training ASHAs to spot red-flag neurological signs, such as persistent numbness, tingling, and unexplained fatigue that worsens in heat, can greatly reduce missed diagnoses. At the same time, improving primary health centres (PHCs) and community health centres (CHCs) under initiatives such as the Aardram Mission in Kerala to include basic neurological screening tools and MRI referral pathways can boost early detection in underserved areas. Supported by targeted education for physicians, including accessible continuing medical education (CME) programmes for general practitioners on recognizing MS, triggers, and referral protocols, we can build a grassroots awareness model that does not rely on metro-based outreach and fits with India's public health system. Need for more awareness The key in bridging the gap between diagnosed patients and silent sufferers of MS in India lies in awareness. With multiple sclerosis still being considered a rare disease, there are no proven studies that determine its root cause or cure. However, better management of symptoms through early diagnosis may lead to a better quality of life, also minimising the overall damage caused to the myelin sheath. It is advisable to check with your neurologist and get screenings done to confirm your diagnosis, if you suspect you may have this autoimmune disease. (Dr (Col) J. D. Mukherji is vice chairman and head, department of neurology, institute of neurosciences, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, New Delhi.
Hans India
6 days ago
- Hans India
136 students awarded BS-MS dual degree in IISER 5th convocation
Berhampur: A total of 136 BS-MS students of Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER)-Berhampur, were awarded BS-MS dual degree at its 5th convocation at Laudigam, 25 km from here, on Saturday. One MS Degree and 22 PhD students also received their respective degrees. Jayshaan Baibhav from the Department of Biological Sciences was awarded the President's Gold Medal for the best academic performance in the graduating class across all disciplines of the BS-MS Dual Degree programme. Subharthi Paul from the Department of Physical Sciences received the Director's Gold Medal for outstanding all-round achievement and leadership in the graduating class across all disciplines of the BS-MS programme. Proficiency Silver medals were awarded to five students including Jayshaan Baibhav, Laishram Librada (Department of Physical Sciences), Debanash Mohapatra (Department of Chemical Sciences), Veronica Gogoi (Department of Mathematical Sciences) and Brinta Banik (Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences). While Laishram Librada (Department of Physical Sciences) received the Shri Durgadas Mohanty Memorial Gold Medal, Hanan Fathima (Department of Biological Sciences) received the Founder Director's Gold Medal. Speaking at the event, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan congratulated the students and called upon them to contribute to national priorities. He urged the graduates to align themselves with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Viksit Bharat and praised IISER-Berhampur for emerging as a hub for research, innovation and NEP 2020-inspired education. Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati inaugurated the state of the art 'Central Advanced Instrumentation Facility' at IISER-Berhampur for cutting edge research in frontier areas of research.
Hans India
02-08-2025
- Hans India
Multiple sclerosis may emerge a decade before neurological symptoms begin to appear
Multiple sclerosis (MS) may begin far earlier than previously thought. Canadian researchers have decoded that the earliest warning signs of the immune system disorder may emerge more than a decade before the first classical neurological symptoms occur. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, challenge long-held assumptions about when the disease truly begins, offering the most comprehensive picture to date of how patients engage with a range of health care providers in the years leading up to a diagnosis as they search for answers to ill-defined medical challenges. "MS can be difficult to recognise as many of the earliest signs -- like fatigue, headache, pain and mental health concerns -- can be quite general and easily mistaken for other conditions," said senior author Dr. Helen Tremlett, Professor of neurology at the University of British Columbia. "Our findings dramatically shift the timeline for when these early warning signs are thought to begin, potentially opening the door to opportunities for earlier detection and intervention," she added. The study analysed the health records of more than 12,000 people in British Columbia and found that those with MS began using health care services at elevated rates 15 years before their first MS symptoms appeared. The team utilised linked clinical and administrative provincial health data to track physician visits in the 25 years preceding the onset of a patient's MS symptoms, as determined by a neurologist through a detailed medical history and clinical assessments. The findings revealed that when compared to the general population, people with MS had 15 years before symptom onset made several visits to physicians for symptoms like fatigue, pain, dizziness, and mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression. Their visits to a psychiatrist increased about 12 years before, while visits to neurologists and ophthalmologists increased for issues like blurry vision or eye pain about eight to nine years before. Further, three to five years before, their visits to emergency medicine and radiology increased, and one year before, visits across multiple specialties peaked, including neurology, emergency medicine, and radiology. These patterns suggest that MS has a long and complex history, said the team. While the researchers caution that the vast majority of people who experience general symptoms will not go on to develop MS, they say recognising and characterizing the MS prodrome could one day help accelerate diagnosis and improve outcomes for patients.
