CMT, MS & MD What's the difference?

[Guest guest]

CMT, MS & MD What's the difference?

by Dr. Greg

CMT, multiple sclerosis, and muscular dystrophy are all three

completely separate and distinct problems.

The neuromuscular system really starts at the brain, which is the

master computer, and sends signals to the motor (muscles) via the

spinal cord (an intermediate connecting cable) which hooks up to the

peripheral nerves (the connecting lines between brain and muscle).

CMT is primarily a disease of the peripheral nerves (the connecting

lines between brain and muscle). CMT causes weakness and impaired

sensory perception because the signal can't get to and from the brain

to muscle and skin, among other things. The muscles will shrink

(atrophy) as they aren't getting the proper signals but the muscles

themselves are not directly diseased per se.

Muscular dystrophy is a disease directly of the muscle itself and

this causes weakness of varying degrees (there are many forms of MD).

Sometimes the heart can be involved because it is a muscle too. Also,

the lungs can be affected because the breathing muscles are weak

(similar to CMT, although in CMT it is because the phrenic nerves are

affected which in turn weakens the diaphragm, our main breathing

muscle).

Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the brain and spinal cord. It can

affect both movement and sensory perception and sometimes, thinking

processes.

[Guest guest]

Gretchen, how does ALS fit in (or not fit in) with these definitions? Could you

contrast and compare ALS to these other three disorders? Thank you! K.