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What are Neurological Autoimmune Diseases?
Within the neurological autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks healthy nervous system tissues by mistake. Depending on which particular nerves or brain regions are impacted, this can cause a wide range of symptoms.
Antibodies and other immune cells defend the body against infections such as viruses and bacteria when the immune system is functioning effectively. On the other hand, the immune system malfunctions and begins attacking healthy tissues in autoimmune diseases. The brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles are all part of the nervous system, and they are all attacked by neurological autoimmune diseases.
12 Neurological Autoimmune Disease List
List of autoimmune diseases and symptoms given below.
- Multiple Sclerosis :Multiple sclerosis (MS) damages the myelin sheath and inflames the central nervous system (CNS), resulting in tingling, numbness, and weakness in the muscles and also trouble walking.
- Myasthenia Gravis :A neuromuscular condition identified as myasthenia gravis (MG) results in skeletal muscle weakness due to a disruption in the signal transmission between the muscles and the nerves.
- Lambert Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS) :a rare neuromuscular condition in which the neuromuscular junction is targeted by the body’s immune system, resulting in muscle weakness and fatigue.
- Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) :An inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that primarily impacts the spinal cord and optic nerves, resulting in brainstem encephalitis, transverse myelitis, and optic neuritis.
- Anti N methyl D aspartate (NMDA) : is an autoimmune condition that affects the brain and can result in coma, confusion, seizures, and hallucinations.
- Stiff Person Syndrome :a rare neurological condition in which an autoimmune attack on the central nervous system leads to progressive muscle stiffness and spasms.
- Susac’s Syndrome :a rare neurological autoimmune diseases that involves in inflammation of the brain’s and spinal cord’s blood vessels, which can cause headaches, vision, hearing, and balance issues.
- Behcet’s Illness :a rare inflammatory illness that can cause headaches, vision issues, meningitis, and damage to several body parts, including the brain.
- Clippers :an uncommon autoimmune condition that can result to headaches, strokes, and seizures and that affects the skin, blood vessels, and brain.
- IgG4 Related Neurological Disease :a rare autoimmune condition that damages the brain and spinal cord causing in headache, blurred vision, and hearing issues.
- Hypertrophic Pachymeningitis :An uncommon immune disorder that results in inflammation of the dura mater, the meninges’ thick outer layer, that can cause headaches, vision issues, and hearing loss.
- Hashimoto’s encephalopathy or steroid-responsive encephalopathy linked to autoimmune thyroiditis. A rare autoimmune condition that inflames the brain and produces hallucinations, seizures, and confusion.
Causes of Neurological Autoimmune Diseases
Since the specific causes of autoimmune disorders are not known, many different kinds of factors may have played a role in their its growth. It is more likely that a combination of these factors than a single cause is responsible for most cases of neurological autoimmune diseases. Following are some common causes observed in individual affected with immune system disorders.
A. Genetics
- Genetic predisposition: An individual’s risk of developing an genetic autoimmune disease may be raised by particular genes. These genes can affect immune system functioning or increase the ability of particular tissues to damage.
- MHC genes: Major Histocompatibility Complex The ability of the immune system to identify and react to foreign substances depends mostly on these genes. There exists proof that certain MHC gene variations are connected with a higher risk of autoimmune diseases, including neurological ones.
B. Environmental triggers:
- Infections: damage to the brain can happen from an autoimmune reaction caused on by specific viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens. Ex. Epstein-Barr virus.
- Toxins: Heavy metals and pesticide exposure are two examples of toxins that can cause autoimmune diseases.
- Dietary factors: Studies has found that a number of dietary factors, like gluten and a vitamin D deficiency, may cause the development of autoimmune diseases.
C. Immune system failure:
- T cells that have accidentally learned to target the body’s own tissues are known as autoreactive T cells.
- Imbalances in cytokines: Cytokines are important immune system signaling molecules. Inflammation and autoimmune diseases may result from an imbalance in cytokine production.
D. Additional elements
- Age: Certain age groups have more cases of autoimmune diseases. For example, young adults have a higher chance to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, while older adults are more able to be diagnosed with myasthenia gravis.
- Sex: Autoimmune diseases are more common in women than in men.
- Race and ethnicity: Certain racial and ethnic groups have higher rates of autoimmune diseases.
Symptoms of Neurological Autoimmune Diseases
The following are some common symptoms of rare autoimmune disease :
- Muscle Weakness : is a common symptom of many neurological autoimmune diseases. Any part of the body, including the arms, legs, face, throat, etc. may be affected.
- Numbness or tingling : Any part of the body may experience numbness or tingling, but the hands, feet, and face are the most common affected areas for it.
- Pain can be dull and aching or sharp and stabbing. It may only affect a small region or it may affect a larger area.
- Moving is difficult: This can range from minor difficulty to complete paralysis.
- Coordination issues: This can make it hard to carry out daily activities like eating, writing, and dressing.
- Visual issues can be seen as loss of vision, double vision, or unclear vision.
- Hearing difficulties : Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, hearing loss, and vertigo are examples of hearing difficulties.
- Balance problems : Having difficulties maintaining your balance can make it difficult to walk or stand still.
- Cognitive issues: These may include trouble focusing, memory loss, and thinking.
- Emotional issues: These consist of irritability, depression, and anxiety.
Treatment for Neurological Autoimmune Diseases
The specific disease and its severity decide the course of treatment for hereditary autoimmune disease.
Controlling inflammation and reducing immune system activity is the most important objective of treatment. Many drugs, including the following, can be used for this:
- Corticosteroids: These are strong anti-inflammatory medications that can be used to quickly lower inflammation and swelling in the nervous system.
- Disease modifying therapies : are prescribed to treat autoimmune neurological diseases by slowing their progression. They works by lowering inflammation and changing the immune system. Among the most frequently prescribed DMTs are fingolimod, natalizumab, glatiramer acetate, and interferon-beta.
- Immunosuppressants: These drugs lower immune system activity, which can decrease inflammation and prevent more nerve system damage.
- Plasma exchange :This process is used to eliminate dangerous antibodies from the blood. Guillain-Barré syndrome and other serious skin autoimmune diseases are treated with it.
- Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg): This includes injecting large amounts of antibodies into a vein. Myasthenia gravis and neuromyelitis optica are two serious neurological autoimmune diseases which it is occasionally used to treat.
- Physical therapy: It is helpful in improving balance, strength, and coordination.
- Occupational therapy: This can help those who are affected by NAIDs to learn fresh skills and techniques for managing their symptoms.
- Speech therapy: For NAIDs patients who have trouble swallowing or speaking, this can be helpful.
Neurological Autoimmune Diseases Life Expectancy
People who suffer from autoimmune endocrine disorders can live long and happy lives. The kind of disease and its severity determine the life expectancy of individuals. However, most of NAIDs patients will have a normal lifespan with proper care and treatment. The life expectancy of an individual can be affected by a number of factors. Among these are:
- Disease’s severity: Those who have more severe NAIDs may not live as long as those who have less severe NAIDs.
- Coexistence of additional medical conditions: Individuals with NAIDs who also suffer from diabetes or heart disease may have lesser lifespan.
- Treatment accessibility: Individuals with NAIDs who are able to receive high-quality care are more likely to live longer than those who are not.
Conclusion
Hope you have got all the information about autoimmune syndrome in this blog. Complete list of neurological autoimmune diseases with their common symptoms are given above. Our main objective is to provide a reliable source of information about various diseases, their symptoms, causes and treatments. Send this blog to someone suffering from this rare autoimmune diseases and help them. Please consult the nearest doctor immediately if you have any illness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Type 1 diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Systemic lupus erythematosus, Inflammatory bowel disease, Multiple sclerosis, Psoriasis, Psoriatic arthritis, Thyroid diseases, Sjögren’s syndrome, Celiac disease, etc.
Complete blood count (CBC), Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, Antinuclear antibody (ANA) test, Rheumatoid factor, Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody test, Antiphospholipid antibodies, Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, etc.
Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1, Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome, IPEX syndrome, Wiskott Aldrich syndrome, CTLA-4 deficiency, STAT3 mutations, ADA deficiency, CD40 ligand (CD40L) deficiency, Periodic fever syndromes, etc.