Background
Clinical observations support the hypothesis that stressful events increase relapse occurrence in multiple sclerosis patients, while stress-reduction strategies can modulate this effect. However, a direct cause-effect relationship between stress level and relapse cannot be firmly established from these data. Objectives: The
Conclusion
These data provide the platform for further studies on the biological processes that link stress and multiple sclerosis relapses in a suitable animal model.
Methods
Mice bred in standard or enriched environment were subjected to repeated acute stress during the remission phase of relapsing-remitting PLP-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
Results
We report that repeated acute stress induced a twofold increase in relapse incidence in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. On the other hand, environmental enrichment reduced relapse incidence and severity, and reversed the effects of repeated acute stress.