Age-related biology and diseases of muscle and nerve.
Age-related biological changes in neurons and skeletal muscle commonly affect neuromuscular function and strongly influence the expression of neuromuscular disease. Of primary importance is the attrition of entire motor units, with resultant neurogenic atrophy of skeletal muscle. Other age-related processes are sensory neuron loss, distal axonal degeneration, axonal atrophy, accumulation of multiple mitochondrial DNA mutations in muscle, and physical inactivity and deconditioning. The decline for most of these begins in early life and proceeds steadily; the curious lack of an abrupt falloff with age is not yet accounted for by any theory of pathogenesis.
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
K M
KM
Flanigan
G
G
Lauria
J W
JW
Griffin
R W
RW
Kuncl
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000473:pathology; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000473:pathology