Motor neurone disease
Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks the upper and lower motor neurones. Degeneration of the motor neurones leads to weakness and wasting of muscles, causing increasing loss of mobility in the limbs, and difficulties with speech, swallowing and breathing.
There are four main types of MND:-
Macroscopic pathological features include:-
Microscopic changes include:-
There are four main types of MND:-
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (both upper and lower motor neurone involvement, charcterised by limb weakness)
- Progressive bulbar palsy (both the upper and lower motor neurone involvement, characterised by problems with speech and swallowing)
- Progressive muscular atrophy (mainly lower motor neurone involvement, charcterised by weakness and clumsiness)
- Primary lateral sclerosis (only upper motor neurone involvement, characterised mainly by lower limb weakness)
Macroscopic pathological features include:-
- Precentral gyrus atrophy
- Frontotemporal atrophy
- Thinning of spinal cord
- Atrophic anterior nerve roots
Microscopic changes include:-
- Loss of motor neurones from the ventral horn of the spinal cord
- Loss of motor neurones from the lower brainstem
