Motor neurone disease

Do you know about motor neuron disease? Do you know what motor neuron disease is like? It is a chronic disease. People over 40 years old are prone to motor neuron disease. They will experience peripheral paralysis of the upper limbs, difficulty swallowing, and sometimes choking when drinking water. However, some people don’t know what is going on when they suffer from this disease.

Motor neuron disease is now a very common chronic disease. Many people suffer from this disease, but we don’t know much about it and don’t know the symptoms when the disease occurs. Let us learn about the symptoms of motor neuron disease.

Symptoms of motor neurone disease

1. The clinical manifestations of the upper motor neuron type are limb weakness, tightness, and inflexible movements. Since the lesions often first invade the corticospinal tracts of the lower thoracic cord, the symptoms begin in the lower limbs and later spread to the upper limbs, with the lower limbs being more severe. The limbs are weak, the muscle tone is increased, the walking is difficult, the gait is spastic, the tendon reflexes are hyperactive, and the pathological reflexes are positive. If the lesion involves the bilateral cortical brainstem, symptoms of pseudobulbar palsy will appear, manifested as clear pronunciation, swallowing difficulties, and hyperreflexia of the jaw. This disease is called primary lateral sclerosis. It is rare in clinical practice. It usually starts in adulthood and generally progresses very slowly.

2. The lower motor neuron type usually presents clinically as weakness of the small muscles of the hands and gradual muscle atrophy, which may affect one or both sides, or start from one side and then spread to the other side. The palm becomes flat due to atrophy of the thenar and hypothenar muscles, and the hand becomes claw-shaped due to atrophy of the interosseous muscles. Muscle atrophy spreads upward, gradually affecting the forearm, upper arm and shoulder girdle. Muscle strength is weakened, muscle tone is decreased, and tendon reflexes are weakened or disappeared. Fasciculations are common and may be confined to certain muscle groups or widespread and are easily induced by tapping with the hands. In some cases, muscle atrophy starts from the tibialis anterior and peroneus muscles of the lower limbs or from the extensor muscles of the neck. In some cases, it may also start from the proximal muscles of the upper and lower limbs.

3. The mixed upper and lower motor neuron type usually presents hand muscle weakness and atrophy as the first symptom, usually starting from one side and then spreading to the other side. As the disease progresses, mixed upper and lower motor neuron damage symptoms appear, which is called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Generally, the lower motor neuron damage in the upper limbs is more serious, but the muscle tone may increase, the tendon reflexes may be active, and there are pathological reflexes. When the lower motor neurons are severely damaged, the symptoms of upper motor neuron damage in the upper limbs may be masked. In the lower limbs, the symptoms of upper motor neuron damage are prominent. In bulbar palsy, the tongue muscles atrophy and tremor are obvious, while the mandibular reflex is hyperactive and the sucking reflex is positive, indicating combined damage to the upper and lower motor neurons. In the late stage of the disease, muscles throughout the body become emaciated and atrophied, resulting in inability to lift the head, difficulty breathing, and being bedridden. The disease usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 60, and about 5% to 10% have a family history of the disease. The course of the disease progresses at varying speeds.

Now everyone should have an understanding of the common symptoms of motor neuron disease. If similar symptoms occur in normal times, you must pay attention to it. The most important thing is to go to the hospital for a check-up to see what is going on and avoid the occurrence of certain diseases. If it is motor neuron disease, you must take appropriate treatment in time.