Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease of unknown cause that affects the central nervous system. The disease is characterized by recurrent attacks of neurological dysfunction due to lesions in the white matter of the central nervous system. It may cause problems with vision, strength, coordination, speech, bladder control, sensation, or other faculties governed by the eyes, brain, or spinal cord.

Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40. The types of problems caused by this disease and the severity of those problems vary greatly from person to person. Precisely how many people are affected by the disease is unknown, but more than 1 in 1000 people in the United States carries the diagnosis.