Alpers'' Disease Information Page
... Alpers' disease is a rare, genetically determined disease of the brain that causes progressive degeneration of grey matter in the cerebrum. The first sign of the disease usually begins early in li...

Ataxias and Cerebellar/Spinocerebellar Degeneration Information Page
... Ataxia often occurs when parts of the nervous system that control movement are damaged. People with ataxia experience a failure of muscle control in their arms and legs, resulting in a lack of balance...

Monomelic Amyotrophy Information Page
... Monomelic amyotrophy (MMA) is characterized by progressive degeneration and loss of motor neurons, the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that are responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. ...

Cerebro-Oculo-Facio-Skeletal Syndrome Information Page
... Cerebro-oculo-facio-skeletal syndrome (COFS) is a pediatric, genetic, degenerative disorder that involves the brain and the spinal cord. It is characterized by craniofacial and skeletal abnormalities,...

Corticobasal Degeneration Information Page
... Corticobasal degeneration is a progressive neurological disorder characterized by nerve cell loss and atrophy (shrinkage) of multiple areas of the brain including the cerebral cortex and the basal gan...

Opsoclonus Myoclonus Information Page
... Opsoclonus myoclonus is a rare neurological disorder characterized by an unsteady, trembling gait, myoclonus (brief, shock-like muscle spasms), and opsoclonus (irregular, rapid eye movements). Other s...

Dementia With Lewy Bodies Information Page
... Dementia with Lewy bodies, the second most frequent cause of dementia in elderly adults, is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with abnormal structures (Lewy bodies) found in certain areas of the...

Hallervorden-Spatz Disease Information Page
... Hallervorden-Spatz disease, also called Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation, is a rare, inherited, neurological movement disorder characterized by progressive degeneration of the nervous sy...

Leigh''s Disease Information Page
... Leigh's disease is a rare inherited neurometabolic disorder characterized by degeneration of the central nervous system. Leigh's disease can be caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA or by d...

Motor Neuron Diseases Information Page
... Motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are progressive, degenerative disorders that affect nerves in the upper or lower parts of the body. Some of the diseases are inherited, while others may be acquired. Commo...

Multiple System Atrophy with Orthostatic Hypotension Information Page
... Multiple system atrophy with orthostatic hypotension is the current classification for a neurological disorder that was once called Shy-Drager syndrome. A progressive disorder of the central and auton...

Multiple System Atrophy Information Page
... Multiple system atrophy (MSA) refers to three slowly progressive related disorders that affect the central and autonomic nervous systems. The disorders are characterized by their foremost symptoms: ol...

Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy Information Page
... Olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) refers to a group of ataxias characterized by progressive neurological degeneration affecting the cerebellum, the pons and the inferior olives. OPCA may be classifi...

Paraneoplastic Syndromes Information Page
... Paraneoplastic syndromes are a group of rare degenerative disorders that are triggered by a person's immune system response to a neoplasm, or cancerous tumor. Neurologic paraneoplastic syndromes a...

Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy Information Page
... Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is an infrequent disorder of the nervous system that primarily affects individuals with suppressed immune systems (including, allograft recipients such...

Ramsay Hunt Syndrome Information Page
... Ramsay Hunt syndrome, also called Ramsay Hunt Syndrome type II, is a common complication of shingles. Shingles is an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is the virus that causes chic...

Juvenile primary lateral sclerosis
... Juvenile primary lateral sclerosis is a rare disorder characterized by the progressive weakness and stiffness in arm, leg, and facial muscles. Symptoms of juvenile primary lateral sclerosis begin in e...

Machado-Joseph Disease Fact Sheet
... Machado-Joseph disease (MJD)-also called spinocerebellar ataxia type 3-is a rare hereditary ataxia. (Ataxia is a general term meaning lack of muscle control.) The disease is characterized by clumsines...

Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration
... Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (formerly called Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome) is a disorder of the nervous system. The condition is characterized by progressive difficulty with moveme...

Friedreich''s Ataxia Fact Sheet
... Friedreich's ataxia is an inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system resulting in symptoms ranging from muscle weakness and speech problems to heart disease. It is name...

Alexander disease
... Alexander disease is a rare disorder of the nervous system that usually begins during infancy or early childhood. Onset can also occur, although less commonly, during the school-age years (juvenile fo...

Friedreich ataxia
... Friedreich ataxia is a genetic condition that damages nerve tissue, causing a loss of muscle coordination (ataxia) that worsens over time. Other characteristics of this condition include the gradual l...

Rett syndrome
... Rett syndrome is a disorder of brain development that occurs almost exclusively in girls. After 6-18 months of apparently normal development, affected girls develop problems with language, learning, c...

Rett Syndrome Fact Sheet
... Rett syndrome is a childhood neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by normal early development followed by loss of purposeful use of the hands, distinctive hand movements, slowed brain and head gr...