04:22 PM PDT on Sunday, October 22, 2006

JEAN ENERSEN / KING 5 News

Jeffrey Steenberg loves the outdoors, but when doctors diagnosed him with multiple sclerosis four years ago, even the simple tasks became exhausting.

"Just finding myself extremely tired a lot. I couldn't make it through a day without napping," he said.

About half of all MS patients also have memory problems.

"I definitely noticed some of the memory going. Calling somebody immediately after calling them and not knowing who was on the phone anymore," he said.

Neurologist Rhonda Voskuhl says there's no approved treatment to prevent memory failure.

"What we don't have are drugs that would be going to the brain or spinal cord and protecting those nerves," she said.

A testosterone gel might help. In a small study, 10 men with MS applied it to their shoulders once a day for a year.

"What they reported most is that they felt better, that they had more energy and less fatigue," said Voskuhl.

The gel improved their immune systems and all the patients performed better on memory tests. MRI scans also showed parts of the brain that normally decline in MS actually slowed.

"We're excited about these findings because we're actually would be describing the first neural protective drugs for MS," said Voskuhl.

Steenberg noticed a difference.

"The increased energy and mental alertness were the biggest, the biggest changes for me," he said.

Researchers are expected to study whether estrogen provides the same memory benefits in female patients.

http://www.king5.com/health/stories/NW_102206HEKmsgelSW.648a1f8c.html