Neurodegenerative disease (Greek νέυρο-, néuro-, "nerval" and Latin dēgenerāre, "to decline" or "to worsen") is a condition in which cells of the brain and spinal cord are lost. The brain and spinal cord are composed of neurons that perform different functions such as controlling movements, processing sensory information, and making decisions. Cells of the brain and spinal cord do not readily regenerate en masse, so excessive damage can be devast...
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Neurodegenerative disease (Greek νέυρο-, néuro-, "nerval" and Latin dēgenerāre, "to decline" or "to worsen") is a condition in which cells of the brain and spinal cord are lost. The brain and spinal cord are composed of neurons that perform different functions such as controlling movements, processing sensory information, and making decisions. Cells of the brain and spinal cord do not readily regenerate en masse, so excessive damage can be devastating. Neurodegenerative diseases result from deterioration of neurons or their myelin sheaths, which may eventually lead to CNS-related dysfunction.
Some sources limit the term "degenerative" to conditions primarily affecting gray matter that are not associated with an obvious inciting event.
Neurodegenerative diseases are crudely divided into two groups according to phenotypic effects, although these are not mutually exclusive:
Neurodegeneration is often caused by misfolding of proteins (prions) in such way that they can no longer perform...
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