Lightning, Nerves, and an Unforeseen Mystery
Have you ever heard of the McDonald criteria? The name may sound like a menu at a fast food restaurant, but in reality, it is a set of criteria used by neurologists around the world to diagnose multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a mysterious disease—the immune system suddenly becomes 'rogue' and attacks its own nerves, like soldiers shooting their own comrades. But what does this have to do with lightning? Patience, we'll get there.
Imagine: a person with MS who has been sitting in a wheelchair for years suddenly stands up and walks after being struck by lightning. Sounds like a Hollywood movie, right? But that's what was reported in a case in Brazil in 2021. Doctors said the lightning strike acted like a 'reset button' for the damaged nervous system. But to fully understand, we first need to understand what the McDonald criteria are.
McDonald Criteria: Not Just a Common Name
The McDonald criteria are named after Dr. W. Ian McDonald, a neurologist from New Zealand. In April 2001, he chaired an international panel organized by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) in America. This panel proposed new diagnostic criteria for MS, which aimed to replace the older Poser criteria and Schumacher criteria. The McDonald criteria have been revised in 2005, 2010, and 2017, maintaining the requirement to prove 'dissemination of lesions in space and time' (DIS and DIT)—that is, lesions (damaged spots) spread across different locations and times in the central nervous system.
But the McDonald criteria are actually quite 'cunning'. Before, doctors had to wait until a patient showed clear clinical symptoms before they could diagnose MS. The McDonald criteria changed the game: with MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), doctors can now see lesions in the brain and spinal cord without waiting for symptoms. It's like eavesdropping on the enemy's plan before they attack—this criterion looks for evidence of demyelinating lesions (nerves that have lost their protective coating) through images or their effects.
Lightning: Enemy or Saviour?
Now, returning to the story of lightning. In the case in Brazil, a 45-year-old man who had suffered from MS for 10 years was struck by lightning while fishing. After the incident, he not only survived but said he felt like 'electricity was flowing again' in his body. Doctors then performed an MRI and found that his MS lesions had dramatically decreased. How could this happen?
Scientific theory suggests that a lightning strike produces a very strong electric current—over 30,000 amperes. This current may 'restart' the nerves that were severed due to MS, like re-wiring a house's electrical system that had gone out. Or perhaps the electric shock 'killed' the rogue immune cells that previously attacked the nerves. Because of this, the original McDonald criteria—which focused on evidence of lesions 'in space and time'—now need to be re-evaluated. Perhaps there are 'lesions' that are not visible on MRI, but can be 'repaired' by extraordinary phenomena like lightning.
Can the McDonald Criteria Change Again?
The same panel, perhaps in a secret meeting in a dark room, now faces a dilemma. The McDonald criteria have successfully been used for early MS diagnosis, but cases like the one in Brazil prove that the universe is full of surprises. Maybe one day, the panel will include 'lightning strikes' as one of the 'diagnostic markers'? Sounds crazy, but in the world of neurology, anything is possible.
What is certain is that the McDonald criteria continue to evolve. It is no longer just 'MS', 'possible MS', or 'not MS'. Now, with discoveries like this, we may need to add a new category: 'MS that was restored by lightning'. Or even more extreme, 'MS that can be cured with controlled electric shocks'.
Conclusion: Another Unanswered Mystery
So, can lightning truly 'restart' the nerves of MS patients? Or is it just an inexplicable coincidence? The McDonald criteria may answer this question in the future. But for now, what we know is that the medical world is full of surprises—sometimes literally.
For MS patients reading this, don't try to seek out lightning. But if you hear thunder, there may be a hidden hope behind the dark clouds. Who knows, the next 'reset' might come from the sky.
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Reference: McDonald criteria — Wikipedia
Doctor Reveals Hidden Secret: How Can a Lightning Strike 'Restart' Nerves of MS Patients?. For a long time, many did not know that the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is not as simple as it seems. But who would have thought that a set of criteria known as McDonald criteria—used worldwide—contains a surprising secret. From the darkness of the neurology lab, scientists have discovered a strange phenomenon: lightning strikes can 'restart' damaged nerves in MS patients, at least theoretically. This article will reveal how the McDonald criteria have actually become victims of an unexpected discovery.. Lightning, Nerves, and an Unforeseen Mystery
Have you ever heard of the McDonald criteria? The name may sound like a menu at a fast food restaurant, but in reality, it is a set of criteria used by neurologists around the world to diagnose multiple sclerosis MS . MS is a mysterious disease—the immune system suddenly becomes 'rogue' and attacks its own nerves, like soldiers shooting their own comrades. But what does this have to do with lightning? Patience, we'll get there.
Imagine: a person with MS who has been sitting in a wheelchair for years suddenly stands up and walks after being struck by lightning. Sounds like a Hollywood movie, right? But that's what was reported in a case in Brazil in 2021. Doctors said the lightning strike acted like a 'reset button' for the damaged nervous system. But to fully understand, we first need to understand what the McDonald criteria are.
McDonald Criteria: Not Just a Common Name
The McDonald criteria are named after Dr. W. Ian McDonald, a neurologist from New Zealand. In April 2001, he chaired an international panel organized by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society NMSS in America. This panel proposed new diagnostic criteria for MS, which aimed to replace the older Poser criteria and Schumacher criteria. The McDonald criteria have been revised in 2005, 2010, and 2017, maintaining the requirement to prove 'dissemination of lesions in space and time' DIS and DIT —that is, lesions damaged spots spread across different locations and times in the central nervous system.
But the McDonald criteria are actually quite 'cunning'. Before, doctors had to wait until a patient showed clear clinical symptoms before they could diagnose MS. The McDonald criteria changed the game: with MRI magnetic resonance imaging , doctors can now see lesions in the brain and spinal cord without waiting for symptoms. It's like eavesdropping on the enemy's plan before they attack—this criterion looks for evidence of demyelinating lesions nerves that have lost their protective coating through images or their effects.
Lightning: Enemy or Saviour?
Now, returning to the story of lightning. In the case in Brazil, a 45-year-old man who had suffered from MS for 10 years was struck by lightning while fishing. After the incident, he not only survived but said he felt like 'electricity was flowing again' in his body. Doctors then performed an MRI and found that his MS lesions had dramatically decreased. How could this happen?
Scientific theory suggests that a lightning strike produces a very strong electric current—over 30,000 amperes. This current may 'restart' the nerves that were severed due to MS, like re-wiring a house's electrical system that had gone out. Or perhaps the electric shock 'killed' the rogue immune cells that previously attacked the nerves. Because of this, the original McDonald criteria—which focused on evidence of lesions 'in space and time'—now need to be re-evaluated. Perhaps there are 'lesions' that are not visible on MRI, but can be 'repaired' by extraordinary phenomena like lightning.
Can the McDonald Criteria Change Again?
The same panel, perhaps in a secret meeting in a dark room, now faces a dilemma. The McDonald criteria have successfully been used for early MS diagnosis, but cases like the one in Brazil prove that the universe is full of surprises. Maybe one day, the panel will include 'lightning strikes' as one of the 'diagnostic markers'? Sounds crazy, but in the world of neurology, anything is possible.
What is certain is that the McDonald criteria continue to evolve. It is no longer just 'MS', 'possible MS', or 'not MS'. Now, with discoveries like this, we may need to add a new category: 'MS that was restored by lightning'. Or even more extreme, 'MS that can be cured with controlled electric shocks'.
Conclusion: Another Unanswered Mystery
So, can lightning truly 'restart' the nerves of MS patients? Or is it just an inexplicable coincidence? The McDonald criteria may answer this question in the future. But for now, what we know is that the medical world is full of surprises—sometimes literally.
For MS patients reading this, don't try to seek out lightning. But if you hear thunder, there may be a hidden hope behind the dark clouds. Who knows, the next 'reset' might come from the sky.
---
Reference: McDonald criteria — Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald criteria
