What is motor neurone disease?

“Motor neurone disease” refers to several similar diseases that cause destruction of the motor nerves supplying skeletal muscle. The common early symptoms of motor neurone diseases are tripping or stumbling, reduced finger dexterity, cramps, and weakness wasting of the muscles. Early in the disease, surviving nerve fibres can begin to supply motor units that have lost their motor nerves. As a result, motor units get bigger and that can account for the loss of dexterity. As the disease progresses and more nerves die, muscle atrophy develops. The motor nerve stimulates growth in the muscle by causing it to contract and by releasing chemicals that stimulate protein synthesis.