Government Funding Lapse
Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

motor neuron disease

(MOH-ter NOOR-on dih-ZEEZ)

A type of disease in which the nerve cells in the brain that act on muscle cells break down and stop working. This affects basic activities such as speaking, walking, breathing, and swallowing. Symptoms include muscle weakness, wasting, twitching, trouble swallowing, and slowly becoming paralyzed. Motor neuron diseases are sometimes inherited. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) is the most common type of motor neuron disease.

motor neuron disease

Search NCI's Dictionary of Cancer Terms