Motor neuron diseases

This article is about a group of muscle-wasting disorders. For the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as motor neuron(e) disease, see Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Motor neuron disease
spinal diagram
SpecialtyNeurology

Motor neuron diseases or motor neurone diseases (MNDs) are a group of rare neurodegenerative disorders that selectively affect motor neurons, the cells which control voluntary muscles of the body.[1][2] They include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),[3][4] progressive bulbar palsy (PBP), pseudobulbar palsy, progressive muscular atrophy (PMA), primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and monomelic amyotrophy (MMA), as well as some rarer variants resembling ALS.

Motor neuron diseases affect both children and adults.[5] While each motor neuron disease affects patients differently, they all cause movement-related symptoms, mainly muscle weakness.[6] Most of these diseases seem to occur randomly without known causes, but some forms are inherited.[2] Studies into these inherited forms have led to discoveries of various genes (e.g. SOD1) that are thought to be important in understanding how the disease occurs.[7]

Symptoms of motor neuron diseases can be first seen at birth or can come on slowly later in life. Most of these diseases worsen over time; while some, such as ALS, shorten one's life expectancy, others do not.[2] Currently, there are no approved treatments for the majority of motor neuron disorders, and care is mostly symptomatic.[2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference El2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d "Motor Neuron Diseases Fact Sheet: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)". ninds.nih.gov. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  3. ^ "Motor neurone disease – NHS". nhs.uk. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  4. ^ Healthdirect Australia (17 April 2020). "Motor neurone disease (MND)". healthdirect.gov.au. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cooper-Knock J, Jenkins T, Shaw PJ (1 September 2013). Clinical and molecular aspects of motor neuron disease. San Rafael, California (1537 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 USA). ISBN 9781615044290. OCLC 860981760.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)