Introduction

A neuromuscular disease is a disorder that affects the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system includes muscles, the nerve-muscle (neuromuscular) junction, peripheral nerves in the limbs, and the motor-nerve cells in the spinal cord.

Patients with neuromuscular diseases can have weakness, loss of muscle bulk, muscle twitching, cramping, numbness, tingling, and many other symptoms. Problems with the nerve-muscle junction can also cause droopy eyelids, double vision, and weakness that worsens with activity. Some neuromuscular disorders can also cause difficulty with swallowing and sometimes with breathing.

Many neuromuscular diseases are genetic, which means they are caused by a mutation in your genes that can run in families. These genetic neuromuscular diseases are the ones that TREAT-NMD addresses. The MDA has produced a useful leaflet that explains genetics in relation to neuromuscular diseases - click here to view a copy. 

We are currently in the process of restructuring this area of the site to provide more information about what TREAT-NMD is doing in different neuromuscular diseases. If your disease is not mentioned yet, please bear with us. You will also be able to find some more general information in some of the sections below.