Neurodegeneration

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, there are more than 600 neurologic disorders 1. Neurodegeneration is one of the main contributors to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Multiple Sclerosis. Neurodegeneration is the debilitating condition along with those diseases, which results in the healthy, functioning nerve cells to deteriorate and slowly die off. Deterioration gradually leads to the loss of cognitive skills, motor skills, and eventually death of the nerve cell itself. Neurodegeneration can and will gradually get worse over time with the medicine today only slightly slowing down this horrible process. The Alzheimer’s Association approximates that there are 5.4 million people in the U.S. alone with Alzheimer’s, …show more content…
Inflammation is a common feature in neurodegenerative diseases in MS and AD. Resident macrophages in the central nervous system, microglial cells, act as a mediator for the nervous system in the effort of helping the body. In the case of MS, it does more damage than good. These microglial cells become chronically active and mediate the pathology inducing inflammatory responses which in turn results in the attack of healthy nerve cells. Multiple Sclerosis is an auto-immune disease, meaning that the body’s own white blood cells attack healthy cells thinking that this will bring the body back to homeostasis. This results in the ongoing degeneration of the nerve …show more content…
Multiple Sclerosis can be diagnosed by determining if there are signs of more than 1 attack on the brain or spinal cord through a central nervous system exam of the body’s reflexes and functions. Genetic testing provides no exact link, but it can determine the probability of the gene being inherited. It is believed that having a family member with MS increases your chance by only 1-3%, and 30% if you have an identical twin with MS 3