Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (Print Version)

Also called: Also called: Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy, Peroneal muscular atrophy

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a group of genetic nerve disorders. It is named after the three doctors who first identified it. In the United States, CMT affects about 1 in 3,300 people.

CMT affects your peripheral nerves. Peripheral nerves carry movement and sensation signals between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body. Symptoms usually start around the teen years. Foot problems such as high arches or hammertoes can be early symptoms. As CMT progresses, your lower legs may weaken. Later, your hands may also become weak.

There is no cure. The disease can be so mild you don't realize you have it or severe enough to make you weak. Many people with CMT lead active lives and have a normal life span. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, braces and other devices and sometimes surgery can help you cope.

Genetics Home Reference

Start Here

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/charcot_marie_tooth/detail_charcot_marie_tooth.htm
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/trastornos/la_enfermedad_de_charcot_marie_tooth.htm
Genetics Home Reference: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=charcotmarietoothdisease

Overviews

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/charcot-marie-tooth-disease/DS00557/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/charcot_marie_tooth/charcot_marie_tooth.htm
Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease and Dejerine-Sottas Disease(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/fa-cmt.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.mda.org/espanol/esp-fa-cmt.html

Diagnosis/Symptoms

CK (Creatine Kinease)(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/ck/test.html
Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Velocities(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/Quest/q75ss.html
Muscle Biopsies(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/Quest/q74ss.html

Specific Conditions

Surgery Sometimes, Bracing Often: Caring for the CMT-Affected Foot(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/Quest/q135cmt_foot.html

Related Issues

Peripheral Neuropathy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/peripheralneuropathy/detail_peripheralneuropathy.htm
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/trastornos/neuropatia_periferica.htm

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Charcot-Marie-Tooth+Disease%22

Genetics

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Hereditary Neuropathy Overview(University of Washington) - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=gene&part=cmt
Genetics Home Reference: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=charcotmarietoothdisease
Learning about Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease(National Human Genome Research Institute) - http://www.genome.gov/11009201

Journal Articles

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

Article: Motor axon loss is associated with hand dysfunction in Charcot-Marie-Tooth... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18852440&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Gene symbol: SH3TC2. Disease: Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 4C. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18846676&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Severe neurotoxicities in a case of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18797198&tool=MedlinePlus
Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=charcot-marie-tooth+disease[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

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/

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Degenerative Nerve Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/degenerativenervediseases.html
Muscle Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/muscledisorders.html
Brain and Nerves - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/brainandnerves.html
Genetics/Birth Defects - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/geneticsbirthdefects.html

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