Also called: Also called: Neurodegenerative diseases
Degenerative nerve diseases cause worsening of many of your body's activities, including balance, movement, talking, breathing and heart function. Many of these diseases are genetic, which means they run in families or you have a genetic mutation. Certain medical conditions such as alcoholism, a tumor or a stroke can cause other types. Toxins, chemicals or viruses might cause still other types.
Examples of degenerative nerve diseases include
- Alzheimer's disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Friedreich's ataxia
- Huntington's disease
- Lewy body disease
- Parkinson's disease
- Spinal muscular atrophy
Degenerative nerve diseases can be serious or life-threatening. It depends on their type. Most of them have no cure. The goal of treatment is usually to improve symptoms, relieve pain and increase mobility.
- Motor Neuron Diseases(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/motor_neuron_diseases/motor_neuron_diseases.htm
- Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Velocities(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/Quest/q75ss.html
- Alpers' Disease(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/alpersdisease/alpersdisease.htm
- Ataxia(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/ataxia/
- Cerebro-Oculo-Facio-Skeletal Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cofs/cofs.htm
- Corticobasal Degeneration(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/cbd/
- Leigh's Disease(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/leighsdisease/leighsdisease.htm
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Machado-Joseph Disease(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/machado_joseph/detail_machado_joseph.htm
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/trastornos/Enfermedad_de_Machado-Joseph.htm
- Monomelic Amyotrophy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/monomelic_amyotrophy/monomelic_amyotrophy.htm
- Multiple System Atrophy(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/msa/
- Multiple System Atrophy with Orthostatic Hypotension(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/msa_orthostatic_hypotension/msa_orthostatic_hypotension.htm
- Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/nbia/nbia.htm
- Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/opca/opca.htm
- Opsoclonus Myoclonus(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/opsoclonus_myoclonus/opsoclonus_myoclonus.htm
- Paraneoplastic Syndromes(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/paraneoplastic/paraneoplastic.htm
- Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/pml/pml.htm
- Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (Prion Diseases)(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tse/tse.htm
- Atlas of the Body: The Nervous System(American Medical Association) - http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZB2KOBGJC&sub_cat=185
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Ataxia(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Ataxia%22
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Neurodegenerative Diseases(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Neurodegenerative+Diseases%22
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Prion Diseases(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Prion+Diseases%22
- Genetics Home Reference: Andermann syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=andermannsyndrome
- Genetics Home Reference: Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=ataxiawithoculomotorapraxia
- Genetics Home Reference: Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=autosomalrecessivespasticataxiaofcharlevoixsaguenay
- Genetics Home Reference: Familial encephalopathy with neuroserpin inclusion bodies(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=familialencephalopathywithneuroserpininclusionbodies
- Genetics Home Reference: Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=infantileonsetascendinghereditaryspasticparalysis
- Genetics Home Reference: Juvenile primary lateral sclerosis(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=juvenileprimarylateralsclerosis
- Genetics Home Reference: Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=marinescosjogrensyndrome
- Genetics Home Reference: Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=pantothenatekinaseassociatedneurodegeneration
- Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/womenshealth/research/pregbirth/birthdefects.cfm
- Prion Diseases: Basic Research(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/prion/basicResearch.htm
- Article: The cell cycle molecules behind neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease: perspectives... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18855671&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Research in motion: the enigma of Parkinson's disease pathology spread. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18769444&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Grey matter pathology in multiple sclerosis. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18703006&tool=MedlinePlus
- Degenerative Nerve Diseases -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=nerve+degeneration[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+systematic[sb])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Find a Board-Certified Neurosurgeon(American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons) - http://www.neurosurgerytoday.org/findaneuro/
- Find a Neurologist(American Academy of Neurology) - http://www.thebrainmatters.org/index.cfm?key=1.2.2
- Find a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician(American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) - http://www.e-aapmr.org/imis/imisonline/findphys/find.cfm
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/
- We Move - http://www.wemove.org/
- Alzheimer's Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alzheimersdisease.html
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/amyotrophiclateralsclerosis.html
- Brain Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/braindiseases.html
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/creutzfeldtjakobdisease.html
- Friedreich's Ataxia - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/friedreichsataxia.html
- Genetic Brain Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/geneticbraindisorders.html
- Multiple Sclerosis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/multiplesclerosis.html
- Parkinson's Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/parkinsonsdisease.html
- Peripheral Nerve Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/peripheralnervedisorders.html
- Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/polioandpostpoliosyndrome.html
- Rett Syndrome - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/rettsyndrome.html
- Brain and Nerves - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/brainandnerves.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Degenerative Nerve Diseases is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/