A REVIEW OF CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT OF MOTOR NEURON DISEASE (MND)
Keywords:
MND, ALS, neurons, PMAAbstract
Motor neuron disease (MND) also called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative defect characterized by loss of upper motor neurons (UMNs) and lower motor neuron (LMNs, anterior horn cells of the spinal cord and brainstem nuclei). The term MND is widely synonymous with ALS, reflecting the observation that most patients reveal combined LMN-related loss of muscle because of denervation (amyotrophy), and UMN degeneration of the lateral corticospinal tract and its cortical origins establishing as gliosis, or hardening (sclerosis). The average survival of patients is 3–5 years. However, there is several causes of this disease includes: genetics, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, oxidative stress, protein aggregation, reduced axonal transport… etc.
The symptoms of MND are includes the following: dysphagia, bulbar featuresdysarthria, excessive salivation and tongue fasciculations, muscle wasting, limb or muscle features focal weakness, muscle twitching, sensory impairment and muscle stiffness; respiratory features orthopnoea, rapidity of breath on exertion, early morning headache and fatigue or tiredness, depression, cognitive features behavioural change, emotional lability…. etc. Riluzole is the only drug licensed to treat MND.
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