- Acute Flaccid Myelitis
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Arteriovenous Malformations
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Back Pain
- Brain Aneurysm
- Brain Tumors
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Childhood Brain Tumors
- Delirium
- Dementia
- Hemorrhagic Stroke
- Ischemic Stroke
- Memory
- Meningitis
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Movement Disorders
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Neuroblastoma
- Neuromuscular Disorders
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome
- Speech and Language Problems in Children
- Stroke
- Transient Ischemic Attack
- Tremor
- Walking Problems
- West Nile Virus
- A1C
- Blood Glucose
- Diabetes
- Diabetes and Pregnancy
- Diabetes Complications
- Diabetes in Children and Teens
- Diabetes Medicines
- Diabetes Type 1
- Diabetes Type 2
- Diabetic Diet
- Diabetic Eye Problems
- Diabetic Foot
- Diabetic Heart Disease
- Diabetic Kidney Problems
- Diabetic Nerve Problems
- How to Prevent Diabetes
- Hyperglycemia
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Prediabetes
- Abortion
- Breast Cancer
- Breast Diseases
- Breast Reconstruction
- Breastfeeding
- Cervical Cancer
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- Cesarean Delivery
- Childbirth
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Endometriosis
- Female Infertility
- Health Problems in Pregnancy
- High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy
- HIV and Pregnancy
- Hormone Replacement Therapy
- HPV
- Hysterectomy
- Infections and Pregnancy
- Mammography
- Mastectomy
- Menopause
- Menstruation
- Miscarriage
- Ovarian Cancer
- Ovarian Cysts
- Ovarian Disorders
- Pelvic Floor Disorders
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Pelvic Pain
- Period Pain
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Drug Use
- Pregnancy and Opioids
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- Prenatal Care
- Prenatal Testing
- Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
- Sexual Problems in Women
- Stillbirth
- Teenage Pregnancy
- Trichomoniasis
- Tubal Ligation
- Uterine Cancer
- Uterine Diseases
- Uterine Fibroids
- Vaginal Bleeding
- Vaginal Cancer
- Vaginal Diseases
- Vaginitis
- Vulvar Cancer
- Vulvar Disorders
- Yeast Infections
- Alcohol
- Calcium
- Child Nutrition
- Cholesterol
- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know
- Cholesterol Medicines
- DASH Eating Plan
- Eating Disorders
- Food Allergy
- HDL: The “Good” Cholesterol
- High Cholesterol in Children and Teens
- How to Lower Cholesterol
- How to Lower Cholesterol with Diet
- Infant and Newborn Nutrition
- LDL: The “Bad” Cholesterol
- Malabsorption Syndromes
- Nutrition for Older Adults
- Pregnancy and Nutrition
- Toddler Nutrition
- Triglycerides
- VLDL Cholesterol
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
- Ataxia Telangiectasia
- Brain Malformations
- Cerebral Palsy
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
- Chiari Malformation
- Cleft Lip and Palate
- Color Blindness
- Congenital Heart Defects
- Craniofacial Abnormalities
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- Friedreich Ataxia
- Genetic Counseling
- Hemophilia
- Huntington’s Disease
- Hydrocephalus
- Muscular Dystrophy
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- Neurofibromatosis
- Newborn Screening
- Osteogenesis Imperfecta
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- Pregnancy and Medicines
- Rett Syndrome
- Sickle Cell Disease
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- Tay-Sachs Disease
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- Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
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- Animal Bites
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- Asthma in Children
- Childhood Leukemia
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- Eosinophilic Esophagitis
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- HIV and Infections
- HIV in Women
- Hodgkin Lymphoma
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- Infectious Mononucleosis
- Juvenile Arthritis
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- Multiple Myeloma
- Pemphigus
- Pneumocystis Infections
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- Scleroderma
- Sjogren’s Syndrome
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- Vaccines
- Viral Infections
- Adhesions
- Ankle Injuries and Disorders
- Arm Injuries and Disorders
- Back Injuries
- Brachial Plexus Injuries
- Burns
- Chest Injuries and Disorders
- Concussion
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- Dislocated Shoulder
- Dislocations
- Elbow Injuries and Disorders
- Eye Injuries
- Facial Injuries and Disorders
- Finger Injuries and Disorders
- Foot Injuries and Disorders
- Fractures
- Hand Injuries and Disorders
- Heel Injuries and Disorders
- Hip Injuries and Disorders
- Inhalation Injuries
- Insect Bites and Stings
- Jaw Injuries and Disorders
- Knee Injuries and Disorders
- Leg Injuries and Disorders
- Mosquito Bites
- Neck Injuries and Disorders
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
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- Spinal Cord Injuries
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- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Wrist Injuries and Disorders
- Acute Bronchitis
- Bird Flu
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- Croup
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- Anatomy
- Assisted Reproductive Technology
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- Infertility
- Male Infertility
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- Prostate Cancer
- Prostate Cancer Screening
- Prostate Diseases
- Reproductive Hazards
- Sexual Health
- Sexual Problems in Men
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Syphilis
- Testicular Cancer
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- Abdominal Pain
- Bad Breath
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- Breathing Problems
- Bruises
- Chest Pain
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- Chronic Pain
- Constipation
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- Diarrhea
- Dizziness and Vertigo
- Edema
- Fainting
- Fever
- Frostbite
- Gas
- Gastrointestinal Bleeding
- Headache
- Heartburn
- Heat Illness
- Hives
- Hypothermia
- Indigestion
- Itching
- Jaundice
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Pain
- Rare Diseases
- Raynaud’s Disease
- Sciatica
- Speech and Communication Disorders
- Stuttering
Degenerative Nerve Diseases
Summary
Degenerative nerve diseases affect many of your body’s activities, such as balance, movement, talking, breathing, and heart function. Many of these diseases are genetic. Sometimes the cause is a medical condition such as alcoholism, a tumor, or a stroke. Other causes may include toxins, chemicals, and viruses. Sometimes the cause is unknown.
Degenerative nerve diseases include:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Friedreich ataxia
- Huntington’s disease
- Lewy body disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Spinal muscular atrophy
Degenerative nerve diseases can be serious or life-threatening. It depends on the type. Most of them have no cure. Treatments may help improve symptoms, relieve pain, and increase mobility.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Specifics
- Alpers’ Disease National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Batten Disease National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Cerebro-Oculo-Facio-Skeletal (COFS) Syndrome National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Corticobasal Degeneration National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker Disease National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Kuru National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Leigh Syndrome National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Monomelic Amyotrophy National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Multiple System Atrophy National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Opsoclonus Myoclonus National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Prion Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
- Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (Prion Diseases) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Genetics
- Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Andermann syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Ataxia neuropathy spectrum: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia, deafness, and narcolepsy: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- CLN1 disease: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- CLN10 disease: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- CLN2 disease: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- CLN3 disease: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- CLN5 disease: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- CLN6 disease: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- CLN7 disease: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- CLN8 disease: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Familial encephalopathy with neuroserpin inclusion bodies: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Fatty acid hydroxylase-associated neurodegeneration: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- GM2-gangliosidosis, AB variant: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type IE: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type II: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type V: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Juvenile primary lateral sclerosis: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Mitochondrial membrane protein-associated neurodegeneration: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Multiple system atrophy: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Neuromyelitis optica: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Polycystic lipomembranous osteodysplasia with sclerosing leukoencephalopathy: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Progressive external ophthalmoplegia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Riboflavin transporter deficiency neuronopathy: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Sandhoff disease: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Spastic paraplegia type 49: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Ataxia National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Neurodegenerative Diseases National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Prion Diseases National Institutes of Health
Diagnosis and Tests
- Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies National Library of Medicine
- Specialized Nerve Tests: EMG, NCV and SSEP North American Spine Society
Children
- EMG (Electromyogram) (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
Encyclopedia
- Familial dysautonomia Medical Encyclopedia
- Kuru Medical Encyclopedia
- Nerve conduction Medical Encyclopedia
- Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCL) Medical Encyclopedia
- Secondary parkinsonism Medical Encyclopedia
Find an Expert
- Find a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Start Here
- Motor Neuron Diseases National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Patient Handouts
- Multiple system atrophy – parkinsonian type Medical Encyclopedia
- Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy Medical Encyclopedia