Multifocal Motor Neuropathy: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Multifocal Motor Neuropathy: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) is a disease that affects your body's motor nerves. Those are the nerves that control your muscles. The condition makes it hard for them to send the electrical signals that move your body, which makes your hands and arms feel weak. They’ll also twitch and cramp.
MMN is not life-threatening, and, in most cases, treatments can make the muscles stronger. The disease can get worse slowly, and after a while, you may have a hard time doing daily tasks, like typing or getting dressed. But for many people, symptoms may be so mild that they don't need treatment at all. You may be able to work and stay active for many years after your diagnosis.
Meningitis, Bacterial
Important It is possible that the main title of the report Meningitis, Bacterial is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report.
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Most people are diagnosed with MMN in their 40s and 50s, although adults from ages 20 to 80 can find out they have the disease.
No one knows what causes MMN. Scientists do know it’s an autoimmune disease, meaning your immune system mistakenly attacks your nerve cells as if they were invaders. Researchers are studying the disease to try to find out why it happens.
If you have MMN, you’ll most likely notice the first symptoms in your hands and lower arms. Your muscles may feel weak and cramp up or twitch in a way you can’t control. It may start in specific parts of the arm or hand, like the wrist or finger. Usually the symptoms are more severe on one side of your body. The disease may eventually affect your legs.
MMN isn’t painful, and you’ll still be able to feel with your hands and arms because your sensory nerves are not affected. But your symptoms will slowly get worse as you get older.
Doctors often mistake MMN for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. They have similar symptoms, like twitching. Unlike ALS, though, MMN is treatable.
Your doctor may tell you to see a neurologist, a specialist who treats problems with the nervous system. She will give you a physical exam. She'll also ask questions about your symptoms, like:
The doctor will do some nerve and blood tests to rule out other conditions that might cause your symptoms. She may do:
Multifocal Motor Neuropathy
What Is Multifocal Motor Neuropathy?
Multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) is a disease that affects your body's motor nerves. Those are the nerves that control your muscles. The condition makes it hard for them to send the electrical signals that move your body, which makes your hands and arms feel weak. They’ll also twitch and cramp.
MMN is not life-threatening, and, in most cases, treatments can make the muscles stronger. The disease can get worse slowly, and after a while, you may have a hard time doing daily tasks, like typing or getting dressed. But for many people, symptoms may be so mild that they don't need treatment at all. You may be able to work and stay active for many years after your diagnosis.
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Meningitis, Bacterial
Important It is possible that the main title of the report Meningitis, Bacterial is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report.
Read the Meningitis, Bacterial article > >
Most people are diagnosed with MMN in their 40s and 50s, although adults from ages 20 to 80 can find out they have the disease.
Causes
No one knows what causes MMN. Scientists do know it’s an autoimmune disease, meaning your immune system mistakenly attacks your nerve cells as if they were invaders. Researchers are studying the disease to try to find out why it happens.
Symptoms
If you have MMN, you’ll most likely notice the first symptoms in your hands and lower arms. Your muscles may feel weak and cramp up or twitch in a way you can’t control. It may start in specific parts of the arm or hand, like the wrist or finger. Usually the symptoms are more severe on one side of your body. The disease may eventually affect your legs.
MMN isn’t painful, and you’ll still be able to feel with your hands and arms because your sensory nerves are not affected. But your symptoms will slowly get worse as you get older.
Getting a Diagnosis
Doctors often mistake MMN for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. They have similar symptoms, like twitching. Unlike ALS, though, MMN is treatable.
Your doctor may tell you to see a neurologist, a specialist who treats problems with the nervous system. She will give you a physical exam. She'll also ask questions about your symptoms, like:
- Which muscles are giving you trouble?
- Is it worse on one side of your body?
- How long you been feeling this way?
- Do you have any numbness or tingling?
- Does anything make your symptoms better? What makes them worse?
The doctor will do some nerve and blood tests to rule out other conditions that might cause your symptoms. She may do:
- A nerve conduction study (NCS). This test measures how fast electrical signals travel through your nerves. Usually your doctor will put two sensors on the skin over one of your nerves: one to transmit a small electric shock and the other to record the activity. The doctor will repeat the test on other nerves if she thinks that more than one is involved.
- A needle electromyography (EMG). Your doctor will put electrodes on your arms. The electrodes have small needles, which go into your muscle, and they’re attached by wires to a machine that can measure the electrical activity in your muscles. Your doctor will ask you to slowly flex and relax your arms so the machine can record the activity. The doctor can do this test at the same time as the NCS.
- A blood test to look for GM1 antibodies, part of your body’s immune system. Some people with MMN have higher levels of them. If you do have a lot of these antibodies, chances are you have the disease. You might have MNN even if you don't have a lot of the antibodies, though.
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