The National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the MS Society of
Canada have committed 2.4 million dollars to fund seven research
projects looking at different aspects of chronic cerebrospinal
venous insufficiency (CCSVI). CCSVI, impaired draining of blood
from the brain due to blocked or narrowed veins, is thought by
some experts to be a direct cause of MS. American teams awarded
research money are: - Dr. Jerry Wolinsky (University of Texas
Health Science Center at Houston) is going to use the same
ultrasound methods that Dr. Zamboni used, in order to see what
the association is between CCSVI and different types of MS, as
well as see if other imaging methods can confirm the ultrasound
results. - Dr. Aaron Field (University of Wisconsin School of
Medicine and Public Health, Madison) is using MRI scans and
ultrasound techniques (the same ones used by Dr. Zamboni) to
look at the veins of people in the early and later stages of MS,
as well as people with other neurological diseases and healthy
people. - Dr. Robert