Neuromuscular Disorders (Print Version)

Neuromuscular disorders affect the nerves that control your voluntary muscles. Voluntary muscles are the ones you can control, like in your arms and legs. Your nerve cells, also called neurons, send the messages that control these muscles. When the neurons become unhealthy or die, communication between your nervous system and muscles breaks down. As a result, your muscles weaken and waste away. The weakness can lead to twitching, cramps, aches and pains, and joint and movement problems. Sometimes it also affects heart function and your ability to breathe.

Examples of neuromuscular disorders include

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Muscular dystrophy
Myasthenia gravis
Spinal muscular atrophy

Many neuromuscular diseases are genetic, which means they run in families or there is a mutation in your genes. Sometimes, an immune system disorder can cause them. Most of them have no cure. The goal of treatment is to improve symptoms, increase mobility and lengthen life.

Overviews

Neuromuscular Diseases in the MDA Program(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/disease/40list.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.mda.org/espanol/40list.html

Diagnosis/Symptoms

Creatine Kinase Test(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/Quest/q71ss-cktest.html
Diagnosis of Brain, Spinal Cord, and Nerve Disorders: Procedures(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec06/ch077/ch077d.html
Diagnostic Methods: Electrophysiology(We Move) - http://www.mdvu.org/library/pediatric/diagnostics/dia_exa_electro.asp
Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Velocities(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/Quest/q75ss.html
Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia: Diagnosis(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/hsp/hsp_dia.html
Measuring Spasticity(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/spa/spa_meas.html
Muscle Biopsies(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/Quest/q74ss.html
Stiffness, Cramps and Twitching(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/Quest/q73ss.html

Treatment

Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia: Treatment(We Move) - http://www.mdvu.org/library/disease/hsp/hsp_tre.html
Spasticity Treatments(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/spa/spa_tre.html

Specific Conditions

Barth Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/barth/barth.htm
Congenital Myasthenia(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/congenital_myasthenia/congenital_myasthenia.htm
Congenital Myopathy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/myopathy_congenital/myopathy_congenital.htm
Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/hereditary_spastic_paraplegia/hereditary_spastic_paraplegia.htm
Hypertonia(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/hypertonia/hypertonia.htm
Isaac's Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/isaacs_syndrome/isaacs_syndrome.htm
Kearns-Sayre Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/kearns_sayre/kearns_sayre.htm
Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/lambert_eaton/lambert_eaton.htm
Mitochondrial Myopathies(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/mitochondrial_myopathies.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.mda.org/espanol/esp-fa-mito.html
Mitochondrial Myopathies(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/mitochondrial_myopathy/mitochondrial_myopathy.htm
Myotonia(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/myotonia/myotonia.htm
Myotonia Congenita(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/myotoniacongenita/myotoniacongenita.htm
Opsoclonus Myoclonus(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/opsoclonus_myoclonus/opsoclonus_myoclonus.htm
Piriformis Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/piriformis_syndrome/piriformis_syndrome.htm
Primary Lateral Sclerosis(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/primary_lateral_sclerosis/primary_lateral_sclerosis.htm
Spasticity(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/spasticity/spasticity.htm
Stiff-Person Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stiffperson/stiffperson.htm
Thyrotoxic Myopathy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/thyrotoxic_myopathy/thyrotoxic_myopathy.htm
Troyer Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/troyer_syndrome/troyer_syndrome.htm

Related Issues

101 Hints to "Help-with-Ease" for Patients with Neuromuscular Disease(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/101hints/
Also available in Spanish http://www.mda.org/espanol/esp-101hints/
Dressing with Ease, Style and Comfort(ALS Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.alsa.org/files/cms/Resources/FYI_07_Dressing.pdf

Anatomy/Physiology

Atlas of the Body: The Nervous System(American Medical Association) - http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZB2KOBGJC&sub_cat=185
Overview of Muscles(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/spa/spa_nmc.html

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Muscle Spasticity(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Muscle+Spasticity%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Neuromuscular Diseases(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Neuromuscular+Diseases%22

Genetics

Facts about Genetics and Neuromuscular Diseases(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/genetics.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.mda.org/espanol/esp-genetics.html
Genetics Home Reference: Ataxia with vitamin E deficiency(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=ataxiawithvitaminedeficiency
Genetics Home Reference: Distal hereditary motor neuropathy, type V(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=distalhereditarymotorneuropathytypev
Genetics Home Reference: L1 syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=l1syndrome
Genetics Home Reference: Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=mitochondrialencephalomyopathylacticacidosisandstrokelikeepisodes
Genetics Home Reference: Neuropathy, ataxia, and retinitis pigmentosa(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=neuropathyataxiaandretinitispigmentosa
Genetics Home Reference: Spastic paraplegia type 2(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=spasticparaplegiatype2
Genetics Home Reference: Spastic paraplegia type 3A(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=spasticparaplegiatype3a
Genetics Home Reference: Spastic paraplegia type 4(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=spasticparaplegiatype4
Genetics Home Reference: Spastic paraplegia type 7(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=spasticparaplegiatype7
Genetics Home Reference: Troyer syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=troyersyndrome

Research

MDA Research Advances Rapidly(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/resdev.html
Scientists Identify Cell Differences That Enable Muscle Repair(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/News_and_Events/Spotlight_on_Research/2007/satellite_cells.asp

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Advances in the understanding of the mechanism of action of... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18685919&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: The contribution of cognition and spasticity to driving performance in... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18760160&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: A comparison between self-reported and observed activity limitations in adults... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18760156&tool=MedlinePlus
Neuromuscular Disorders -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(neuromuscular+diseases[majr:noexp]+OR+muscle+spasticity[majr])+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Dictionaries/Glossaries

Glossary of Terms(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/glossary/
Short Answer: Definitions for Common Neuroscience Terms(Society for Neuroscience) - http://web.sfn.org/index.cfm?pagename=brainBackgrounders_theShortAnswer

Directories

Find a Neurologist(American Academy of Neurology) - http://www.thebrainmatters.org/index.cfm?key=1.2.2

Organizations

Muscular Dystrophy Association - http://www.mda.org/
Also available in Spanish http://www.mdaenespanol.org/
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/

Newsletters/Print Publications

Quest(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/Quest/q_curr.html

Children

Learning to Live with Neuromuscular Disease: A Message for Parents(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/learning/
Also available in Spanish http://www.mda.org/espanol/esp-learning/
Teacher’s Guide to Neuromuscular Disease(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/tchrdmd/

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/complexregionalpainsyndrome.html
Movement Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/movementdisorders.html
Multiple Sclerosis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/multiplesclerosis.html
Muscle Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/muscledisorders.html
Muscular Dystrophy - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/musculardystrophy.html
Myasthenia Gravis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/myastheniagravis.html
Neurologic Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/neurologicdiseases.html
Peripheral Nerve Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/peripheralnervedisorders.html
Spinal Muscular Atrophy - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spinalmuscularatrophy.html
Bones, Joints and Muscles - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bonesjointsandmuscles.html
Brain and Nerves - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/brainandnerves.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Neuromuscular Disorders is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/

Neuromuscular Disorders - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/neuromusculardisorders.html