The National Multiple Sclerosis Society says it will award the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester nearly a quarter million dollars for research of a neurologic illness often mistaken for MS.

A pilot study of the central nervous system disease afflicting the eye nerve will be funded with $44,000 of the $220,000 total. The remainder will pay for postdoctoral fellowship research related to the study.

Dr. Brian Weinshenker, a Mayo neurologist, said Dr. Vanda Lennon and colleagues at Mayo showed a test can tell whether someone has neuromyelitis optica, a "very severe" MS-like condition that causes inflammation of the optic and spinal nerves....................

For the full report please go to MSRC: MS Research News : Other Conditions Research : Devic's Disease (NMO (neuromyelitis optica)- http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=show&pageid=2395