Research Project
3404893
To ascertain the prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in hot coastal areas of Greek-speaking Cyprus and compare it with the prevalence in the mountain areas where the temperature is below zero for 4/5 months of the year. This will establish whether climatic temperature is a factor in the aetiology of MS and whether there is a high MS prevalence in sub-tropical Cyprus and not a low prevalence as was previously thought. A high Ms prevalence in Cyprus will show that there is a sudden fall in prevalence between southern Europe - Sicily and Cyprus - and Malta where the prevalence is low and so increase understanding of the surprising geographic differences in MS prevalence. The first year of the present study in Paphos District and in the mountains has shown that the experimental design of the study will provide the information that is sought. Because of the success of the study it is proposed that it should be continued for a further three years so that a second coastal area can be included and that it should be extended to include other neurological and neuromuscular diseases that may occur, and perhaps be unusually uncommon, in the areas studied and elsewhere in Cyprus, such as various forms of hereditary ataxia. The high frequency of Friedreich's Ataxia which was found during the first year of study in the villages of Kathikas/Arodhes has already provided an opportunity to locate the defective gene. The diagnosis of MS will be confirmed, when necessary, by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the Hadassah Hospital, Jerusalem.
