Question

Will motor neuron disease be inherited?

Answer

Current medical research indicates that motor neuron disease has the potential to be hereditary. Studies show that approximately 5%-7% of patients are related to genetic immune abnormalities or viral infections. These patients may pass the disease on to their offspring. However, for the majority of patients, the cause of motor neuron disease remains unclear and may be related to heavy metals, chemical poisoning, or environmental factors. Furthermore, motor neuron disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder that, when severe, can affect the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord and brainstem neurons as well as the pyramidal cells in the motor cortex of the brain, leading to breathing difficulties and swallowing disorders, which can be life-threatening. As the disease leads to nerve nutrition disorders and progressively exacerbates secondary ischemic nerve function damage, it further intensifies nerve function symptoms, ultimately leading to a crisis of cervical vertebral paralysis that threatens life. Current treatment plans include hormone therapy, traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment, enhancing the body’s immune function, and combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine to dilate the blood circulation in affected nerve microcirculation for nerve nourishment. These methods are hopeful in stopping the progression of the disease and improving nerve function symptoms.