Motor neurone disease
rare neurodegenerative disease with amyotrophy and progressive paralysis / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Motor neurone disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a condition that affects the nerves that control movement. It is a chronic and progressive disease, which means that it gets worse over time and eventually leads to death.[1] There is no known cure.
Motor neurone disease | |
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Classification and external resources | |
ICD-10 | G12.2 |
ICD-9 | 335.2 |
DiseasesDB | 8358 |
MeSH | D016472 |
There is a slow but steady death of the nerve cells in the central nervous system making them stop sending messages to the muscles. The disorder causes muscle weakness and muscle shrinking (atrophy) throughout the body. Unable to function, the muscles gradually weaken and waste away. Eventually, the ability of the brain to start and control voluntary movement is lost. However, even patients in later stages of the disease may still have the same intelligence, memory, and personality they had before it started.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common of the five types of motor neurone disease. About 5 to 10% of cases are inherited from a person's parents.[2]