Motor Neurone Disease/Neurological Disease - Medtick
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Motor Neurone Disease/Neurological Disease

What is it?

A condition where the nerves get disrupted or damaged and hence affecting the link between the brain and the muscles and senses.

  • Nerves are like the wires that carry ‘messages’ between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body.

There are two types of nerves:

  • Motor nerves- carry messages from brain and spinal cord to the muscles.
  • Sensory nerves- carry messages from brain and spinal cord regarding touch, temperature, smell and taste.
Please note this is not a full exhaustive list but of more common conditions where one has acquired the condition rather than those discovered at birth or a young age, a specialist will conduct further tests for rare conditions.

Examples include:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 
(ALS)		 Progressive bulbar palsy 
(PBP)		 Progressive muscular atrophy (PMA) Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS)
Table: The four main types of motor neurone disease
Motor neurones affected Upper motor neurones and lower motor neurones Upper motor neurones and lower motor neurones Lower motor neurones Upper motor neurones
Common signs and symptoms
  • Limb and torso muscle atrophy
  • Bulbar muscle weakness (e.g. loss of speech, ability to swallow, ability to chew)
  • Respiratory muscle decline
  • Mainly affects bulbar muscles with less prominent limb weakness
  • Emotional lability
  • Muscle weakness and wasting, first of hands then rest of lower body
  • Fasciculation (twitching)
  • Muscle cramps
  • Stiff and slow movements, first of legs, then torso, arms, hands and eventually bulbar muscles
Percentage of patients with motor neurone disease (%) 85 5 5–10 1
Life expectancy from time of onset 2–5 years 6 months–3 years 5 years or longer, but often progresses into ALS 5–15 years
Talbot K. Motor neurone disease. Postgrad Med J 2002;78:513–519. doi: 10.1136/pmj.78.923.513
Motor Neurone Disease Association. What is MND? 2018. Available at: https://www.mndassociation.org/about-mnd/where-do-i-start/what-is-mnd/ (accessed March 2019)National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Motor neurone diseases fact sheet. 2018. Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Motor-Neuron-Diseases-Fact-Sheet (accessed March 2019)
Further tests need to be performed by specialists to determine the exact type of condition

Cause

  • Family history (not polymyositis)
  • Gene disorder
  • Excess glutamate nerve messenger
  • Toxic waste build up in body cells
  • Abnormal mitochondria function (the mitochondria is the energy source in our body cells)
  • Glia cells which provide ‘food’ to nerve cells not function properly
  • Lack of anti-oxidant in cells
  • Lack of nutrients provided to nerve cells
  • Abnormal collection of proteins in nerve cells
  • Injury
  • Trauma
  • Stroke
  • Amyloidosis
  • Gaucher disease – a genetic disease caused by a defect in the GBA gene which helps to produce an enzyme called glucocerebrosidase, these enzymes helps our body cells to clean up and dispose of a fatty substance in the body called glucocerebroside that the body is otherwise unable to break down. If our body cells has too much of fatty substance the cells are called ‘Gaucher cells’ and begin to build up take over normal body cells functions causing symptoms.
  • Madelung Disease (excess fat growth due to long term alcoholism)
  • Vitamin B12 deficiency
  • Infection i.e.

Syndromes

Vitamins, herbals and minerals

Symptoms

  • Weak muscles or unable to perform doing function and gets worse as day goes on e.g. walking, lifting, holding head up?
  • Difficulty using arms, body and legs, lack of stamina and/or walking difficulties?
  • General discomfort (muscle weakness), uneasiness or ill feeling (malaise) and/or fatigue (tiredness)?
  • Difficulty chewing, swallowing, talking, slurred speech?
  • Muscles on the face affected, is one showing a change in facial expression e.g. a snarling smile?
  • Aching, painful muscles, muscle cramps/spasms/stiffness?
  • Short of breath and breathing difficulties?
  • Constant hiccups?
  • Heart palpitations?
  • Hearing loss?
  • Weight loss?
  • Balance and dizziness problems?
  • Eye(s)/eyelid muscles drooping causing blurred or double vision any visual problems, colour blindness, double vision, vision loss, difficulty focusing, and/or pain behind eye (One or both eyes can be affected)?
  • Rash?
  • Any extreme sensitive skin or burning sensation?
  • Difficulty in concentrating?
  • Emotional (laugh or cry for no reason)?
  • Irritated, depressed, anxiety and/or panic attacks?
  • Increase thirst, heavy sweating and need to urinate frequently?
  • Improve with rest/sleep?
  • Overactive (urgency to go to toilet) or under-active bladder?

Male only:

Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:

Medical Emergency Condition

Do not wait, phone for an ambulance

‘Please see your medical doctor even if display some symptoms as as symptoms can vary from individual to individual’

This condition can lead to:

Driving Authority

Exercise tips

This condition may show similar symptoms to:

Detailed Information

Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Motor Neurone Disease/Neurological Disease in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).

Diet, Exercise and Body Manipulations

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