Motor Neuron Disease though most commonly used to mention one specific disease ie Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis(ALS), Motor Neuron Disease is actually a classification category that comprises all the diseases that are of motor-neurodegeneratory in nature. But Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis being the most common form of Motor Neuron Disease, it has vaguely become synonymous to its parent classification category.
Diseases are very vaguely placed into this category with inconclusive inclusion and exclusion criteria. Following are the basic disease types that fall under this category or one can say they form this category.
Motor Neuron Diseases are characterised by progressive muscle weakness and degeneration of motor neuron. But as explained earlier that classification is vague, so not all motor neuron degeneratory disorders fall under this category and rather they are placed into a broader category called “Motor Neuron Disease Disorders” example Spinal Muscular Atrophies falls into this broader category.
Lower Motor Neuron Degeneration – Except Primary Lateral Sclerosis, Pseudobulbar Palsy and Monomelic Amyotrophy rest all have LMN involvement.
With or Without Sensory Loss.
Based on combination of above three criterion the pattern is categorised into three major pattern of combination.
MND can present itself in children or in adults. If the onset is during childhood then it’s usually inherited and in most of the cases it is Familial Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis. In adults usually it’s found to affect after age of 40years.
Most of the cases of MND tend to progress during course of time and worsen and in many cases they are even fatal depending on type of MND, say for instance ALS is a fatal type where as PLS is not.
Motor Neuron Disease presents itself in various patterns of muscular weakness due to motor neuron degeneration which can show combination of patterns of symmetric or asymmetric, proximal or distal, focal midline or lateral, with or without sensory loss. Some of the signs and symptoms of Motor Neuron Disease are listed below.
Difficulty in breathing, aggravated while lying down or on exertion. It may also cause respiratory failure.
Cognitive and behavioral changes like decision making, computing, word fluency, memory etc.
Homeopathic Medicine should be selected as per type of Motor Neuron Disease and it’s symptomatology.