Utah has one of the highest incidence rates of multiple sclerosis in the nation, and Intermountain Health physicians are trying to figure out why that’s the case.

“It’s more that there’s a predisposition that can be passed on,” said Dr. Timothy West, an Intermountain Health neurologist who specializes in MS. “Then certain things in the environment, and how you grew up, and things you’re exposed to can then trigger those genes.”

MS is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The disease mistakenly attacks myelin, a protective sheath covering nerve fibers in the central nervous system. When damaged, the myelin forms scar tissue called sclerosis, setting off a disruption of electrical signals to the brain and spinal cord.

MS affects every person differently and no two cases are alike.