Motor nerve disease isa condition in which motor nerves are damaged. The condition of damaged motor nerves can make it difficult for sufferers to walk, talk, and even breathe.
The motor nervous system is divided into two parts, namely the upper motor nervous system located in the brain and the lower motor nervous system located in the spinal cord.
The upper motor nerves function to send signals from the brain to the spinal cord, while the lower motor nerves continue the signals sent from the brain to all the nerves in the muscles.
The signal sent earlier serves to regulate muscle movements, ranging from walking, talking, grasping, swallowing to breathing. If the function of this motor nerve is disturbed, the patient will have difficulty in carrying out these activities.
Causes of Motor Nerve Disease
The causes of motor nerve disease can vary, depending on the type of disease. The following is an explanation of the types of motor nerve diseases and their causes:
1. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease is a type of motor nerve disease that attacks the upper and lower motor nerves. It is not known what causes ALS, but it is suspected that this condition is related to genetic, hereditary, and environmental factors.
2. Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS)
PLS is a type of motor nerve disease that attacks the upper motor nerves. It is not known what causes PLS in adults. However, in children, the disease is caused by a mutation in the ALS2 gene, which is a gene that produces a protein that upper motor nerve cells need to function properly.
3. Progressive muscular atrophy (PMA)
PMA attacks the lower motor nerves and the cause is not yet known. This disease is more common in men.
4. Spinal muscular atrophy (SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL)
SMA is caused by an abnormality in the SMN1 gene, which is a protein-producing gene that is essential for the survival of motor nerve cells. SMA is a motor nerve disease that attacks the lower motor nerves.
5. Progressive bulbar palsy (PBP)
PBP attacks the lower motor nerves that connect to the brainstem. It is not known what causes progressive bulbar palsy in adults, but in children, PBP is caused by a mutation in the SLC52A gene.
SLC52A is a gene that gives instructions to the body to produce proteins that lower motor nerves need to function properly.
6. Pseudobulbar palsy
Pseudobulbar palsy is caused by a disorder of the nerves that carry signals from the cerebral cortex to the lower brainstem area.
7. Kennedy's Disease
Kennedy disease is a type of motor nerve disease that attacks the lower motor nerves. This disease is caused by a mutation in the AR gene on the X chromosome which is inherited from parents.
8. Postpolio syndrome
Post-poliso syndrome occurs when nerve cells that have been weakened by polio become damaged due to aging or other diseases.
Motor Nerve Disease Risk Factors
Motor nerve disease can happen to anyone, but there are several factors that are thought to increase a person's risk of developing this disease. Those factors include:
- 40–70 years old
- Have a history of polio
- suffer a stroke, multiple sclerosis, or neurological disorders of the brain
- Have a family history of motor nerve disease
- Exposure to toxic substances, such as heavy metals, mercury, arsenic, chromium, lead and pesticides
Disease Symptoms Saraf Mauthoritative
Symptoms of motor nerve disease depend on which motor nerves are affected. Usually, these symptoms appear gradually so it will be difficult to recognize at first. Some of the common symptoms experienced by patients with motor nerve disease are:
- Speech, chewing and swallowing disorders
- Laughing or crying for no reason and hard to stop
- Muscles feel stiff, tense, and often twitch uncontrollably
- Weak hand grip, so sufferers often drop things
- The limbs are weak, making it difficult for the patient to walk and often fall
- Respiratory disorders that are at risk of causing respiratory failure
When to go to the doctor
Immediately consult a doctor if you feel you are experiencing the above symptoms, especially if there is a history of motor nerve disease in your family. With the right diagnosis and treatment, you can live your life and activities better even if you have this disease.
Disease Diagnosis Saraf Mauthoritative
The doctor will ask the patient and family about the symptoms and history of the disease, then perform a physical examination. After that, the doctor will perform a neurological examination.
Nerve examination aims to measure motor and sensory abilities, vision, hearing and speaking abilities, body balance, nerve function, movement coordination, mental condition, and changes in behavior and mood patient.
Doctors can also carry out investigations to ensure that the patient's symptoms are caused by motor nerve disease. These inspections include:
- Electromyography (EMG), to see abnormalities in the lower motor nerves by measuring the electrical activity of muscles during activity and at rest
- Nerve conduction test, to measure the speed at which electrical signals travel through the body's nerves, as well as rule out symptoms caused by peripheral neuropathy
- Blood sample test, to measure levels of creatine kinase, which is a type of protein needed to produce muscle contractions
- Cerebrospinal fluid test (brain and spinal fluid), to rule out the possibility that the patient's symptoms are due to infection or inflammation
- Scan magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to determine the overall condition of the patient's internal organs
- Biopsy (tissue sampling) of muscles or nerves, to determine the extent of muscle damage
- Genetic testing, to detect abnormalities in genes
Disease Treatment Saraf Mauthoritative
There is no cure for motor nerve disease (PSM), but doctors can take some steps to relieve symptoms and reduce the severity of motor nerve disease.
Treatment methods that doctors can do include giving drugs, such as:
- Edaravone, to prevent the development of ALS
- Riluzole, to prevent further damage to motor nerves
- Nurinersen, to increase SMN protein levels in patients spinal muscular atrophy
- muscle relaxants, such as baclofen, tizanidine, and benzodiazepines, to reduce muscle stiffness
- Botulinum toxin (Botox), to reduce muscle stiffness and overcome drooling
In addition to giving drugs, doctors can also perform the following therapies:
- Physical therapy (physiotherapy), occupational therapy, or speech therapy, to improve posture, prevent joint stiffness, slow disease progression, and improve chewing, swallowing, and speaking abilities
- Use of breathing apparatus, to prevent sleep apnea at night and helps patients who have difficulty breathing due to weakened respiratory muscles
- Adjustment of eating patterns and insertion of feeding tubes, to help patients who have difficulty swallowing
Disease Complications Saraf Mauthoritative
Motor nerve disease is a disease that can develop over time to become more severe. Some of the complications that may occur as a result of motor nerve disease are:
- Constipation
- Urinary tract infection
- Pneumonia
- Depression
- Breathing failure
- Paralysis
- Death
Prevention of Motor Nerve Disease
As described above, most motor nerve diseases have no known cause. Therefore, preventing this disease is a difficult thing to do.
However, if you have a family history of motor nerve disease, you can find out how much you are at risk of developing this disease and pass it on to your child, by checking with a doctor.