A group of chronic (long-term) disorders that negatively affect the nervous system (especially the brain) is called neurodegenerative disorders. These conditions are permanent, and they cannot be treated. It means you should get treatment for the rest of your life. That’s why the treatment goal is to ease the symptoms, prevent serious complications, and improve your quality of life.
Furthermore, neurodegenerative disorders cause damage and destroy the nervous system gradually, and effects often appear later in life. The medical term “neurodegenerative disorders” stands for multiple health conditions.
These disorders are not common, and some research estimates that they affect more than 50 million people in the world. Moreover, these diseases will affect twice as many people over 65 years old in the next 30 years, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Types of Neurodegenerative Disorders
Check some primary types of neurodegenerative disorders below:
- Dementia-type diseases – The following conditions cause progressive damage to different parts of the brain, which often leads to the death of neurons. As a result, a person with dementia-type diseases may experience a wide range of symptoms, depending on the affected part of the brain. Some of these diseases include Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, chronic (long-term) traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), Lewy body dementia, and limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE).
- Demyelinating diseases – In such cases, conditions cause damage to the protective layer of the nerves (myelin). These include multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).
- Parkinsonism-type diseases – This type of neurodegenerative disorder causes damage to specific neurons in the brain responsible for managing coordination and muscle movements. One of them is Parkinson’s disease, but there are other forms of Parkinsonism.
- Motor neuron diseases – This type occurs when neurons that control movement die. For example, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and others.
- Prion diseases – In people with these disorders, a type of protein is missing. As a result, it causes damage to the brain, usually in a short period (in most cases, people do not survive more than 12 months after diagnosis). One of the most common prion diseases is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, but there are other conditions.
However, there are multiple parts of overlap between degenerative brain disorders. Furthermore, most of them share symptoms and have similar causes.
Symptoms
While some disorders share symptoms, they can vary widely. Check some symptoms below according to the type of neurodegenerative disease:
- Dementia-type diseases – These include confusion, memory loss (amnesia), difficulty thinking or concentrating, and behavioral changes.
- Demyelinating diseases – The most common symptoms include numbness or tingling, pain, muscle spasms, and paralysis, but these disorders may also cause extreme tiredness and problems with coordination.
- Parkinsonism-type diseases – For example, slowed movement, shaking and tremors, problems with balance, shuffling steps, and hunched posture.
- Motor neuron diseases – The most common symptoms of these disorders are muscle weakness and paralysis because they negatively affect the part of the nervous system that controls the muscles.
You may wonder why the symptoms are different among people with neurodegenerative diseases. It occurs because the brain of each person is unique, and it also depends on which part of the brain is affected. In any case, do not hesitate to visit a doctor if any of the previous symptoms occur.
Causes and Risk Factors
While some neurodegenerative disorders have a single cause that cannot be identified, most of them have multiple causes. Some research shows that there are multiple factors that can contribute to and cause a neurodegenerative disorder. Moreover, experts have identified some factors that could increase your risk of developing a neurodegenerative disorder. Check some examples below:
- Age – This is one of the most important factors in developing these disorders. In other words, the risk of developing a neurodegenerative disorder increases with aging. In general, there are some types of these conditions that may begin earlier in life, but rarely.
- Genetics – Many conditions have a strong link to family history. It often involves an abnormal gene that is passed from biological parents to their biological children during conception or pregnancy.
- Environment – This can be a major factor in the development of neurodegenerative disorders. For instance, prolonged exposure to chemicals or toxins, or some types of infections, significantly increases the risk of developing this condition. For instance, if you have reduced vitamin D levels, the risk of dementia-type diseases may increase.
- Medical history – Some past health events may also play a role in developing neurodegenerative diseases. These include cancer, some types of infections, head injuries, and others.
- Habits, routine, and choices – These include foods you are eating, physical activity, smoking, alcoholic drinks, and others. For more details, discuss it with your healthcare professional.
In most cases, before a neurodegenerative disorder, people experience Huntington’s disease and ALS.
What Are The Potential Complications of Neurodegenerative Diseases?
Generally, complications are common among people with neurodegenerative disorders. They occur because of brain damage caused by these conditions. Check some examples below:
- Movement disorders that negatively affect your strength, flexibility, agility, and reflexes.
- Motor neuron disorders that cause paralysis over time. It also significantly increases the risk of pneumonia and other respiratory infections.
- Dementia-type diseases impact memory, judgment, and thinking.
- Autonomic dysfunction, including problems with blood pressure, bladder or bowel control, and heart function.
- Behavioral changes – For example, mood swings, depression, apathy, irritability, social withdrawal, disinhibition, anger, paranoia, and others.
- Loss of independence (such as inability to perform daily activities, including bathing, eating, dressing, and others)
- Social isolation
- Alzheimer’s disease
This article does not contain a complete list of neurodegenerative disease complications. However, you can consult with your healthcare provider about measures to reduce the risk of developing them.
How to Prevent Neurodegenerative Disorders?
Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent these conditions, but you can reduce the risk of developing them by following the tips listed below. Examples include:
- Adopt a balanced diet – There are some foods that may negatively affect your brain. Furthermore, they may also be more vulnerable to other conditions (such as stroke) due to a poor diet.
- Physical activity – In general, it is recommended to aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day, at least 5 days a week. It also helps get and maintain a healthy weight that reduces the risk of many health conditions.
- Safety equipment – It is advised to use protective equipment at work to prevent concussions and especially traumatic brain injuries.
- Regular checkups
Diagnosis
In most cases, the diagnosis of a neurodegenerative condition begins with a physical examination to check for irregularities linked to the disease. Thereafter, doctors may also ask some questions about your symptoms and medical history to get more information about the disease. However, some of them are diagnosable with the following tests. For example:
- Laboratory tests – These include blood and genetic tests to check for abnormal genes linked with neurodegenerative disorders.
- Imaging tests – The following tests are used to get detailed images of the brain and other organs in the body. They often help exclude or confirm a neurodegenerative condition. Doctors often perform a CT (computed tomography) scan, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan, or a PET (positron emission tomography) scan.
- Histopathology (microscopic tissue analysis) after death – Certain neurodegenerative disorders cannot be diagnosed while a person is alive. For example, Pick’s disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and others. To confirm them, doctors will take a sample of the brain after an autopsy to check it under a microscope.
Physicians may also perform other tests depending on the symptoms you experience.
Treatment
These diseases cannot be cured. That’s why the treatment focuses on relieving the symptoms, preventing serious complications, and improving your quality of life. While some of these conditions are treatable, others cannot be treated directly, but doctors may recommend some options to ease the symptoms.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do neurodegenerative diseases last?
These conditions are lifelong, and they cannot be cured. Neurodegenerative diseases are progressive disorders that cause damage to the brain or nervous system. However, there are some options to relieve the symptoms and improve your quality of life.
What are the most common neurodegenerative diseases?
While the most common disorders are Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, there are other common examples. These include multiple forms of dementia, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and Huntington’s disease.
What are the first symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases?
Usually, people with these diseases experience the following symptoms. Examples include:
- Problems with focusing, concentrating, and thinking
- Personality changes
- Difficulties with balance, coordination, and movement
- Speech problems
- Muscle stiffness or weakness
Do not hesitate to see a doctor if any of the previous symptoms occur. If you have additional questions, ask your healthcare provider.
