I have read that thoracic MRI's are often not that reliable because of the movement of breathing & the symptoms of a thoracic spine lesion are so specific as to it's location that the symptoms are almost more reliable than an MRI...

I had jelly legs for a while, then spactic legs. I read on spine lesions and neck lesions. Lesions in the neck do that too.
I'll look for it & posyt what I found.

Neurological examination presents specific signs associated with upper and lower motor neurone degeneration. Signs of upper motor neurone damage include spasticity, brisk reflexes and the Babinski sign. Signs of lower motor neurone damage include weakness and muscle atrophy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_neurone_disease

Upper motor neurons are motor neurons that originate in motor region of the cerebral cortex or the brain stem and carry motor information down to the final common pathway, that is, any motor neurons that are not directly responsible for stimulating the target muscle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_motor_neurone

Lower motor neurons (LMNs) are the motor neurons connecting the brainstem and spinal cord to muscle fibers, bringing the nerve impulses from the upper motor neurons out to the muscles. A lower motor neuron's axon travels through a foramen and terminates on an effector (muscle).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_motor_neurone

I found this information in motor neuron disease, like ALS, but a lesions in this are must cause similar.

A lot happens in brain!

http://dailystrength.org/c/Multiple_Sclerosis_MS/forum/4343624-lesions-neck-and

I posted this too a while ago when I was hot & heavy into learning about this.

I had researched this much at one time. It took me a few days after reading your post to remeber I had done it. First I googled Transvers Myelitis, which often occurs in spinal lesion, then I also researched some terms that where used-I found definition in motor neuron disease-Lou Gehrigs disease. That was just for some terms with regard to spinal lesions.

I will past some interesting text & the links to them, so you can read on it too.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transverse_myelitis


Symptoms and signs
The symptoms and signs depend upon the level of the spinal cord involved and the extent of the involvement of the various long tracts. In some cases, there is almost total paralysis and sensory loss below the level of the lesion. In other cases, such loss is only partial.

***If the high cervical area is involved, all four limbs may be involved and there is risk of respiratory paralysis (segments C3,4,5 to diaphragm).***

***Lesions of the lower cervical (C2-T1) region will cause a combination of upper and lower motor neuron signs in the upper limbs, and exclusively upper motor neuron signs in the lower limbs. *****

A lesion of the thoracic spinal cord (T1-12) will produce a spastic paraplegia.

A lesion of the lower part of the spinal cord (L1-S5) often produces a combination of upper and lower motor neuron signs in the lower limbs.

The degree and type of sensory loss will depend upon the extent of the involvement of the various sensory tracts, but there is often a "sensory level" (at the sensory segmental level of the spinal cord below which sensation to pin or light touch is impaired). This has proven to be a reasonably reliable sign of the level of the lesion.

Bladder paralysis often occurs and urinary retention is an early manifestation.

Considerable pain often occurs in the back, extending laterally to involve the sensory distribution of the diseased spinal segmentsso-called "radicular pain." Thus, a lesion at the T8 level will produce pain radiating from the spine laterally along the lower costal margins. These signs and symptoms may progress to severe weakness within hours. (Because of the acuteness of this lesion, signs of spinal shock may be evident, in which the lower limbs will be flaccid and areflexic, rather than spastic and hyperreflexic as they should be in upper motor neuron paralysis.

However, within several days, this spinal shock will disappear and signs of spasticity will become

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AND TERMS FROM:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_neurone_disease

Neurological examination presents specific signs associated with upper and lower motor neurone degeneration. Signs of upper motor neurone damage include spasticity, brisk reflexes and the Babinski sign. Signs of lower motor neurone damage include weakness and muscle atrophy.
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Interesting huh? Good to know why a person is pissing in their pants. The movies make it seem like it is all fear, but actually it is from a spinal lesion.

Another post I made from past....

http://dailystrength.org/c/Multiple_Sclerosis_MS/forum/4367751-sine-lesions

Sometimes I have to read and re-read something before a point comes jumps out. This point was how spine lesions form. This one jumped out at me, when I read it this tme.

I posted the information I had about about spine lesions in a thread labeled lesions in neck and spine.

What jumped out at me was....
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These signs and symptoms may progress to severe weakness within hours. (Because of the acuteness of this lesion, signs of spinal shock may be evident, in which the lower limbs will be flaccid and areflexic, rather than spastic and hyperreflexic as they should be in upper motor neuron paralysis.

However, within several days, this spinal shock will disappear and signs of spasticity will become evident.
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It starts with weakness, then becomes spacisity. Last summer my legs got very weak, I used a walker for a while, blamed it on heat.

Then this spring, I was walking noticably slower, and kids star at me when I walk, my muscles hurt so much more when walking.
I really think it started with weakness and evolved to spacisity.

Anyone else have this history with spacisity? That it sarted as a peroid of weakness and evolved to spacisity. Especially those who were diagnosed with walking dificulty?

The post of ' lesions in neck & spine' where I posted what I have researched on them:

http://dailystrength.org/c/Multiple_Sclerosis_MS/forum/4343624-lesions-neck-and

One more thing I thought of when I was considering this...
The brain is "pastic" nd has the ability ti reroute around damage...you read that in news articles about recovery from car accident or strokes.

The spine is very dense and does not have this ability to re-route around a lesion.

"Silent Lesions" are much more probable in the brain than spine. Where spine lesions are less likely to be "silent"

It makes sense that brain & cervical spine is done first. w/o explanatrion of cause, perhaps a thoracic MRI. The treatment for thoracic spine lesions & brain lesions are the same?

Is your question that your treatment is not effective enough? I have been on betaseron for 3 years, this spactic walking got worse this spring. Doc did a brain & thoracic spine MRI. Nothing on thoracic spine. 1 active lesion in occipital lobe and evidence of increasing T2 lesion burden, especially increasing in cerebellum.

Doc swithched me from betaseron to Tysabri, even though no thoracic spine MRI.

Today in my Multiple Sclerosis Google allerts OI read a study that betaseron appears to be effective for 3 years in those that it is effective in...DAMN, she got to an article before me again! I'm always trying to figure out why she is doing something.