A Different Approach to Hair Analysis: Application to Multiple Sclerosis

The study analyzed hair samples from Canada, China, India, and New Zealand using neutron activation analysis to investigate manganese concentrations. It found that within groups, the percentage of manganese in the alkali-soluble fraction of hair remained relatively constant, while total manganese concentrations varied. Notably, for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients from Canada and New Zealand, there were very highly significant differences in the percentage of manganese in the alkali-soluble fraction when compared to controls, suggesting a potential link between manganese levels in hair and MS.