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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests

Learn More

• Specifics
• Genetics

See, Play and Learn

• Videos and Tutorials

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Degenerative nerve diseases affect many of your body's activities, such as balance, movement, talking, breathing, and heart function. Many of these diseases are genetic. Sometimes the cause is a medical condition such as alcoholism, a tumor, or a stroke. Other causes may include toxins, chemicals, and viruses. Sometimes the cause is unknown.

Degenerative nerve diseases include:

• Alzheimer's disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Friedreich ataxia
• Huntington's disease
• Lewy body disease
• Parkinson's disease
• Spinal muscular atrophy

Degenerative nerve diseases can be serious or life-threatening. It depends on the type. Most of them have no cure. Treatments may help improve symptoms, relieve pain, and increase mobility.

Start Here

• Motor Neuron Diseases (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Specialized Nerve Tests: EMG, NCV and SSEP (North American Spine Society)

Specifics

• Cerebro-Oculo-Fascio-Skeletal (COFS) Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Corticobasal Degeneration (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Mitochondrial Disorders (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Also in Spanish
• Monomelic Amyotrophy (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Multiple System Atrophy (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Also in Spanish
• Myoclonus (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (Batten Disease) (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Prion Diseases (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
• Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Also in Spanish
• Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (Prion Diseases) (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Genetics

• Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Andermann syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Ataxia neuropathy spectrum: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia, deafness, and narcolepsy: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• CLN1 disease: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• CLN10 disease: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• CLN2 disease: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• CLN3 disease: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• CLN5 disease: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• CLN6 disease: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• CLN7 disease: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• CLN8 disease: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Familial encephalopathy with neuroserpin inclusion bodies: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Fatty acid hydroxylase-associated neurodegeneration: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• GM2-gangliosidosis, AB variant: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type IE: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type II: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type V: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Juvenile primary lateral sclerosis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Mitochondrial membrane protein-associated neurodegeneration: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Multiple system atrophy: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Neuromyelitis optica: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Polycystic lipomembranous osteodysplasia with sclerosing leukoencephalopathy: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Progressive external ophthalmoplegia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Riboflavin transporter deficiency neuronopathy: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Sandhoff disease: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Spastic paraplegia type 49: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Videos and Tutorials

• Nerve conduction (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Ataxia (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Neurodegenerative Diseases (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Prion Diseases (National Institutes of Health)

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

• Article: Targeting neuroinflammation: 3-monothiopomalidomide a new drug candidate to mitigate traumatic brain...
• Article: Quantitative Brain MRI Analysis in Neurodegenerative Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis.
• Article: Airborne Cyanobacterial Toxins and Their Links to Neurodegenerative Diseases.
• Degenerative Nerve Diseases -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Find a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician (American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Children

• EMG (Electromyogram) (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• Multiple system atrophy - parkinsonian type (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish