Some diseases that can damage upper motor neurons include strokes, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, primary lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Brown-Sequard syndrome, and vitamin B12 deficiency. A patient who was eventually diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) developed lower motor neuron syndrome affecting one hand, with electromagnetic evidence of denervation. Subsequently, twelve other patients with definitive multiple sclerosis and asymmetric hand atrophy were identified. These patients were studied clinically and electrophysiologically. Of the 13 patients, 12 of the 13 patients showed signs of chronic and continuous denervation; only in 3 patients were electromagnetic abnormalities due to peripheral nerve injuries.
Therefore, in patients with multiple sclerosis, injuries can occur that cause damage to the lower motor neurons of the central nervous system. We suggest that demyelination in the region of the ventral root exit zone could explain these findings. If you have injuries to your upper motor neurons, you have certain damaged nerve cells that help you move. Medication and therapy can help control symptoms such as muscle spasms and help you walk and talk more easily.
Motor neuron diseases can be difficult to diagnose. Its symptoms are often very similar to those of other diseases. The doctor may perform blood and urine tests to detect infections, muscle diseases, and other conditions that have symptoms similar to those of motor neuron diseases. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the CNS.
It results from demyelination and axonal loss of the CNS nerves. It is one of the most common neurodegenerative conditions. It causes many and varied neurological deficits that do not always conform to an obvious pattern. Motor weakness is often accompanied by signs of upper motor neurons, such as mild spasticity, hyperreflexia, and pathological signs.
The most common initial presentation is paraparesis, but weakness can also be found in a single limb (monoparesis) or in all four limbs (quadriparesis). This leaves tissue scarring or injury in multiple areas, interrupting electrical impulses throughout the body. A psychologist or social worker can explain some of the emotional stresses of living with motor neuron disease. Motor neuron diseases are a group of neurodegenerative disorders that selectively affect motor neurons, cells that control all of the voluntary muscles in the body.
Most of the time, multiple sclerosis is characterized by episodes of neurological dysfunction followed by periods of stabilization or partial or complete remission of symptoms. Receiving a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis or MEN can be a difficult time for the patient and their family. If a patient has symptoms such as muscle spasms or problems walking, some may suspect that it is multiple sclerosis, while others may say that it is a motor neuron disease.
