[The role of functional disorders of the autonomic nervous system in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis].

As far as the teaching of multiple sclerosis (MS) is concerned, many problems remain unsolved, particularly those of etiology and pathogenesis. Observations confirmed the significance of 2 symptoms of multiple sclerosis (Kh. G. Khodos, 1954), namely: 1) unusual changeability of the disease clinical manifestations in respect of heat and cold factors, 2) secondary amenorrhea in 30% of women afflicted with MS. Both symptoms may have differential diagnostic importance, indicating, in the authors' opinion, paramount significance of autonomic nervous system dysfunction in the disease pathogenesis and of some characteristic symptoms, for they are likely to be observed in the early disease period.