Motor Neuron Disease is a group of diseases that cause the nerve cells in your brain and spinal cord to break down. Weakness and twitching are early symptoms. Other symptoms include breathing problems, swallowing difficulties and a weakening of your muscles.
The nerve cells in your brain that control movement are called motor neurons. They send messages from your brain to your spinal cord and then to your muscles. If they break down, it can affect how you walk, talk and breathe.
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Weakness is the first noticeable symptom of most types of MND. This is because the nerves that control your muscles start to die and lose their strength. As the weakness gets worse you may find you have trouble rising from a chair, climbing stairs or performing tasks like brushing your hair. You might also notice changes in the quality of your voice or difficulty swallowing. You might also begin to notice muscle wasting (atrophy) or fasciculations – where your muscles feel stiff and tense or jerk when you move.
MND can sometimes be mistaken for other diseases that involve the muscles themselves rather than the nerves that control them. These can include inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis and inclusion body myositis, genetic disorders and endocrine disorders such as thyroid disease.
If you have muscle weakness with no anatomic or temporal pattern, a different cause is more likely such as chronic fatigue syndrome, an as-yet undiscovered systemic illness (eg severe anemia, hypothyroidism), a psychologic problem or a medication side effect. However, if you have hyporeflexia and distal weakness with intact sensation, suspect polyneuropathy.
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Twitching is a movement of muscles caused by nerves firing in the area. When you want to flex your arm, the brain sends signals to the nerves in your bicep muscle, which then causes them to move. In most cases, a muscle twitch is harmless and will go away on its own or with rest. However, if it continues, you should see your doctor.
Muscle twitching doesn’t usually indicate a serious disease, but it can be a symptom of one like ALS or MS. If it’s accompanied by other symptoms, including muscle weakness and cramps, you may need treatment to reduce the spasms.
Your doctor will perform a physical exam and ask about your medical history, including any medications you take. They might also order an MRI or an electromyogram (EMG) to see what’s causing the muscle twitching. In some cases, doctors will also ask about participating in a clinical trial, which may help you find a cure for your twitching. In most cases, treating the underlying cause of your twitching will help stop it.
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MNDs affect the motor neurons that control movement and cause weakness, which can eventually lead to complete paralysis. The speed at which symptoms progress varies from person to person. In some, a breathing problem develops later in the disease. This can lead to trouble breathing or swallowing and may result in a need for a ventilator at night.
Breathing problems occur as a result of the loss of the muscle strength needed to move air in and out of the lungs. This causes weakening of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles. This in turn leads to difficulty in taking in oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. Other symptoms include a hoarse or slurred voice and frequent drooling.
MNDs are progressive, life-limiting diseases that damage and kill nerve cells called motor neurones. These cells send messages from the brain to the muscles via the spinal cord. The loss of these messages causes the muscles to become weaker and waste away. Some people die from MND, but the length of time it takes to get to this stage varies a lot between individuals.
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In motor neuron disease, the loss of nerve cells that control movement often leads to difficulty swallowing. This is known as dysphagia. In the early stages, it may be hard to notice. But it will get worse over time.
The symptoms of MND are different for everyone. Where they begin will depend on which parts of the body are affected first. For example, some people with MND develop problems with their legs and arms before they have trouble swallowing. But in other cases, the symptoms start with a weakness in their fingers or toes.
Difficulty swallowing can also be a sign of other conditions that affect the nerves and muscles in the throat. These include a condition called Zenker diverticulum, which causes a small pocket to form in the wall of your throat (the esophagus). This can cause food and liquid to be trapped in the throat and prevent it from passing into the stomach.
Other symptoms that can be confused with MND include slurring of speech and difficulty breathing while asleep at night. It’s important to see a GP if you have these early symptoms. Your GP can refer you to specialists and help you access the care and support you need.
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MND occurs when specialist nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord called motor neurones deteriorate. This causes muscle weakness and wasting (atrophy).
The condition affects different parts of the body, depending on the type of MND you have. Some, such as ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and primary lateral sclerosis, affect your upper motor neurons. This means you start to lose control of the muscles that help you walk, speak, chew and swallow. Others, such as progressive muscular atrophy and spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1 (SMARD1), affect your lower motor neurones.
MND can be inherited or sporadic. It happens when changes in your genes affect the nerve cells that control movement. The changes can be caused by a variety of things, such as illness, physical trauma, and vitamin deficiency.