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The second edition of the Handbook of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the 43rd volume in the Neurological Disease and Therapy series, edited by William Koller. In keeping with the tradition of this series, this volume focuses on the pathogenesis and treatment of MS. Following thorough and well-organized chapters discussing the epidemiology and genetics of MS, there are several chapters about its pathogenesis. These begin with a search for the etiology of MS, including comparisons with animal models of viral and allergic demyelination and a full chapter discussing the viruses that have been considered as possible etiological candidates. Other chapters review the immunological abnormalities present, providing convincing evidence for currently accepted hypotheses of immune pathogenesis. The pathophysiology of demyelination is also discussed in detail, highlighting the relationship between conduction abnormalities and clinical symptoms.
Next, succinct chapters review the clinical and pathological features of MS. These chapters are not comprehensive—sections about natural