Posts Tagged ‘causes of Demyelinating Disease’

Demyelinating Disease

demyelinating disease is any disease of the nervous system in which the myelin sheath of neurons is damaged.This impairs the conduction of signals in the affected nerves, causing impairment in sensation, movement, cognition, or other functions depending on which nerves are involved.

What causes Demyelinating disease

some demyelinating diseases are caused by genetics, some by infectious agents, some by autoimmune reactions, and some by unknown factors. Organophosphates (a chemical classified as very highly acutely toxic to bees, wildlife, and humans) which is active ingredients in commercial insecticides such as sheep dip, weed-killers, and flea treatment preparations for pets, etc., will also demyelinate nerves.

Demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system

Multiple sclerosis – is the most common demyelinating disease. In this disorder, your immune system attacks the myelin sheath or the cells that produce and maintain it. This causes inflammation and injury to the sheath and ultimately to the nerve fibers that it surrounds, and may result in multiple areas of scarring (sclerosis).

Vitamin B12 deficiency – was discovered from its relationship to the disease pernicious anemia, which is an autoimmune disease that destroys parietal cells in the stomach that secrete intrinsic factor.

Tabes Dorsalis – is a slow degeneration of the sensory neurons that carry afferent information. The degenerating nerves are in the dorsal columns (posterior columns) of the spinal cord (the portion closest to the back of the body) and carry information that help maintain a person’s sense of position (proprioception), vibration, and discriminative touch.

Transverse Myelitis – is a neurological disorder caused by an inflammatory process of the spinal cord, and can cause axonal demyelination. The name is derived from Greek myelón referring to the “spinal cord”, and the suffix -itis, which denotes inflammation.
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