Motor Neuron Disease (MND) isn't classified as a classic autoimmune disease like Multiple Sclerosis (MS), but recent research strongly suggests a significant autoimmune component and immune system involvement, where the body's immune response mistakenly attacks motor neurons, driving inflammation and progression, with some studies even pointing to potential autoimmune triggers and treatments. While not always the primary cause, an overactive immune response, particularly involving specific T-cells and pathways like STING, appears to accelerate damage, linking it to both genetic and sporadic forms of MND.
Abstract. The possibility of an autoimmune pathogenesis in motor neurone disease (MND) has been debated for many years with little consensus. However, recent evidence from different sources has served to redirect attention towards such an involvement.
The "worst" autoimmune diseases are subjective but often cited for severity, impact on life expectancy, or organ damage, with top contenders including Giant Cell Myocarditis (highly fatal), Vasculitis (damages blood vessels), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus) (multi-organ), Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (nervous system), and Type 1 Diabetes (pancreas, life-long management). Other severe conditions include Scleroderma and Myasthenia Gravis.
Motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are a group of progressive neurological disorders that destroy motor neurons, the cells that control skeletal muscle activity such as walking, breathing, speaking, and swallowing.
Some are well known, such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis, while others are rare and difficult to diagnose.
Common autoimmune disorders include:
Nearly 4% of the world's population is affected by one of more than 80 different autoimmune diseases, the most common of which include type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Crohn's disease, psoriasis and scleroderma.
An MRI scan will not diagnose MND, because the damage caused by MND does not show up on this scan. It is a tool for eliminating other conditions that can mimic symptoms of MND.
Types of MND: ALS, PLS, PBP, PMA, MND/FTD.
Nutrients. There is some evidence that motor neurones become more likely to develop MND because of a lack of nutrients. One form of such nutrients is a group of chemicals called 'neurotrophic factors' (meaning 'nerve nourishing factors').
Vasculitis: Vasculitis involves inflammation of blood vessels, leading to various symptoms depending on the affected organs. The diagnosis often requires imaging studies and biopsies, making it one of the more challenging autoimmune diseases to identify.
Common symptoms of autoimmune disease include:
If you have a positive ANA test, an ENA test can check the blood for the presence of antinuclear antibodies that are known to be markers of certain diseases. The ENA test can help your health care team and your rheumatologist diagnose autoimmune diseases such as: Lupus.
Second, the human retroviruses human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and human T-cell lymphotrophic virus (HTLV) have caused isolated MND syndromes.
Motor neurone disease (MND) is a life-shortening, progressive disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. MND is classed as a terminal illness. MND attacks cells in the nerves called motor neurones. These cells control movement.
“This is the first study to clearly demonstrate that in people with ALS, there is an autoimmune reaction that targets specific proteins associated with the disease,” says LJI Professor Alessandro Sette, Dr. Biol. Sci., who co-led the study with Professor David Sulzer, Ph.
Some of the more common conditions that can mimic MND include:
Causes of motor neurone disease (MND)
It's not clear why this happens, but for most people it's thought that a combination of certain genes and other factors are involved. About 1 in 10 people with MND have a family history of the condition.
Symptoms of MND
Early symptoms can include: weakness in your ankle or leg – you might trip, or find it harder to climb stairs. slurred speech, which may develop into difficulty swallowing some foods. a weak grip – you might drop things, or find it hard to open jars or do up buttons.
Some people had first noticed weakness or stiffness in their arms or hands. Sometimes this was accompanied by aching or cramps. (MND is generally not a painful condition, but muscle stiffness can be uncomfortable at times).
Most people experience the onset of symptoms after the age of 40 years and MND is most common in people aged between 50 and 70 years. Although rare, for some people there is a genetic factor and they inherit from their family an increased risk of developing MND.
Nevertheless, the onset of at least 50% of autoimmune disorders has been attributed to “unknown trigger factors”. Physical and psychological stress has been implicated in the development of autoimmune disease, since numerous animal and human studies demonstrated the effect of sundry stressors on immune function.
Ways diet can help improve your condition
Asherson's syndrome is an extremely rare autoimmune disorder characterized by the development, over a period of hours, days or weeks, of rapidly progressive blood clots affecting multiple organ systems of the body.