Motor Neurone Disease

From the moment that we are born, each and every individual’s brain sends instructions and commands to different and various parts of our bodies. The way the brain does this is by sending electrical impulses through the body which control the everyday functions that we can sometimes take for granted, such as talking, swallowing and walking.

As a child grows more neurons are made and created in the body but it is all based upon how much stimulation the child experiences in their environment. It has been suggested that from a young age that a child should be interacted with actively to encourage the growth of these neurones. Motor neurones deal with the functions of the body that control the bodies walking, hand and arm movements, running and any other body movements. There is a disease that can affect the nerves that control the motor functions of the body which completely destroy them. If the muscles are not regularly moved they can waste away and die.

The disease that affects the neurones of the body is called Motor Neurone Disease. This affects approximately around 5 people in every 100,000 within the United Kingdom. This disease typically affects the age groups of around 50 to 70 years old and is known to target more men than women.

Motor Neurone disease comes in three different types. These are:

1. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS – this type of the disease results in muscle weakness ad stiffness and is found to be the most common type of Motor Neurons disease.
2. Progressive Muscle Atrophy – this causes the muscles to waste and become weak and in some cases leads them to have uncontrolled twitching.
3. Progressive Bulbar Palsy – this is undoubtedly is the worst type of motor neurone disease. This causes the sufferer to experience difficulty with swallowing and speaking functions.

Unfortunately there is no known reason as to why someone would develop this disease. There have only been a few linked cases to people having it in their family history and then later on developing it themselves. In some cases this disease can mimic other diseases so it can be hard to diagnose. Motor Neurone Disease can affect people at different rates and in different ways. Some may have a slow progressive display of symptoms over a number of years and others may have them develop at a speedier rate.

There is no one specific test to confirm or diagnose Motor Neurone Disease. A neurologist or a GP can sometimes make a diagnosis based upon the patients behavioural and movement changes. An Electromyelogram EMG can be carried out to test the electrical activity of the patient’s muscles. A Transcranial magnetic stimulation TMS can be done which will measure the nerve activity in the body. MRI scans and nerve conductions tests can be also used to test for Motor Neurone Disease. The medication Riluzole is used to treat most cases of Motor Neurone Disease, however it is not a cure but is does slow down the progress of the disease in some patients.