A recent paper from the University of Toronto has been added to the "No CCSVI detected" pile. The researchers looked at 26 teenagers with MS and compared them to 26 normal teens. The researchers measured blood flow in and out, using phase contrast MRI.
The Canadian MS Society heralded this study as proof positive there is no CCSVI.
They claimed the results showed no "significant difference" in venous return between teens with MS and normals, but I'd like to question that claim.
Because kids with MS showed 27% less blood traveling out their left IJVs, compared to normal kids. I'd say that's significant.
Here's the abstract:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24115149
They looked at blood flow in, via the left and right carotid arteries, and vertebral arteries. The blood is measured in millileters per minute (mL/min) They found the blood flow in was pretty close going in with both groups when looking at the mean average, although I was surprised by the variability of data, as noted by the plus or minus sign ±. (I'm not a statistics person, but don't their variability numbers seem pretty big? Or does this just show how wide a range of variability there is in blood flow in humans?)
However, when looking at outflow, the left IJV showed markedly less flow in teens with MS compared to normals.
The mean, or median rate was 190 (mL/min) in MS, vs. 250 (mL/min) in healthy teens.
That's a 27% difference in blood flow from the left IJV in normals vs. kids with MS!!
Moreover, they found pulsatile and lower flow in the epidural veins in the teens with MS.
I'm not sure why they used the epidural veins, rather than the vertebral veins?? The vertebrals are the collateral veins that are utilized to make up for slowed jugular return in CCSVI. It seems odd to me that they focused on the epidurals instead, but there's much that doesn't make sense to me in this research.
Pulsatility is a sign of venous hypertension, and the fact that they noted this is very important. So is the lower rate of blood flow out of the left IJVS in teens with MS.
I don't see how the researchers can call 27% less blood flow out a major vein "insignificant."
And if I was a parent of a teen with MS, I'd want to know more,
Joan
