Abstract
Overview: Improvements in magnetic resonance imaging and the advent of disease-modifying therapies in the past 15 years have changed the diagnosis and treatment of multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disorder affecting the central nervous system. Accordingly, the nursing role has become more complex, involving advocacy, education, research, counseling, and medication administration. This article reviews the pathophysiology of the disorder, the available therapies to treat it, and the challenges patients face when making treatment decisions at various stages in the course of the disease.
Keywords: autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, neurologic diseases, nervous system diseases, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis