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Multiple sclerosis is a degenerative autoimmune disorder that can cause weakness, fatigue, and other symptoms. And experts say that nearly 1 in 5 people diagnosed with MS are actually misdiagnosed. This hit the news recently when actor Christina Applegate found out she had been misdiagnosed with MS after living with that diagnosis for five years.
So we asked our listeners if they had a story like that, and Koda from Cincinnati called in. She joins Flora to share her experience getting undiagnosed with MS. Then, MS researcher Maria Houtchens weighs in on Koda’s story, and the challenges neurologists face when diagnosing this disease.
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Segment Guests
Maria Houtchens
Dr. Maria Houtchens is an associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School.
Segment Transcript
The transcript is being processed. It will be available 2-3 days after this story’s publication date.
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About Flora Lichtman
Flora Lichtman is a host of Science Friday. In a previous life, she lived on a research ship where apertivi were served on the top deck, hoisted there via pulley by the ship’s chef.
About Dee Peterschmidt
Dee Peterschmidt is Science Friday’s audio production manager, hosted the podcast Universe of Art, and composes music for Science Friday’s podcasts. Their D&D character is a clumsy bard named Chip Chap Chopman.