Cerebellar dysfunction in multiple sclerosis (MS) contributes significantly to disability, is relatively refractory to symptomatic therapy, and often progresses despite treatment with disease-modifying agents. We previously observed that sodium channel Nav1.8, whose expression is normally restricted to the peripheral nervous system, is present in cerebellar Purkinje neurons in a mouse model of MS (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis [EAE]) and in humans with MS. Here, we tested the hypothesis that upregulation of Nav1.8 in cerebellum in MS and EAE has functional consequences contributing to symptom burden.
