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Multiple sclerosis means "many scars" on the myelin sheath of the central nervous system, and muscular dystrophy refers to muscle weakness and atrophy. Multiple sclerosis affects nerve while muscular dystrophy affects muscle. Some of the symptoms are similar, such as extreme fatigue and difficulty with movement, but MS is an autoimmune disorder that can flare and affect a different area of the CNS each time while MD is a genetic disorder that is progressive and often follows a specific pattern (areas) of muscle wasting.

With MS, disability occurs when the flares are more constant and cause permanent nerve damage to an area of the body, sometimes resulting in being blind, incontinent, wheelchair bound, or even bed ridden. With muscular dystrophy, the disability comes from the lack of stamina due to muscles wasting. Having less and less healthy muscle fibers makes the person exhausted doing simple tasks and eventually can lead to inability to lift, carry, walk, or stand. Falls can happen with both disorders, as healthy nerve and muscle are needed to balance one's body. Falling can result in a secondary disability and recovery is slow and incomplete sometimes. Both of these diseases and their sufferers need our support.

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12y ago
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14y ago

atrophy is relating to disruption in the innervation of the muscle, while dystrophy relates to disruption in the muscle fibers itself. this disruption of muscle fibers, as in destruction of the sarcolemma (as seen in Duchenne's muscular dystrophy) is unique to dystrophies and usually results in pseudohypertrophy of certain muscles (i.e., the gastrocnemius in DMD). pseudohypertrophy is not seen in simple muscle atrophy. however, some would consider muscle atrophy to be a preexisting state of the muscle during the natural course of the muscular dystrophy disease.

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11y ago

Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder. There are several forms of this disorder.

Spinal muscle atrophy is similar in some ways to MD, but it is seen in little children first. It is sometimes called "floppy baby" syndrome. This is also a genetic disorder.

The neurons off the spinal cord are affected in spinal muscle atrophy.

MD is caused by a problem with the muscles themselves and not with the neurons or nerves.

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14y ago

None; atrophy means wasting away

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Q: What is the difference between spinal muscle atrophy and muscular dystrophy?
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What is the difference between muscle dystrophy and muscle atrophy?

Myasthenia gravis: autoimmune to the ACh receptors at end plate (pathway >>> no muscle contraction) Muscular Dystrophy: genetic (X-linked) defect in dystrophin (pathway >>> myosin-actin crossbridge doesn't form > no muscle contraction)


What is mixed muscular dystrophy?

Mixed Muscular Dystrophy is a rapid progression form of Muscular Dystrophy. This normally occurs to people between the ages of 30 and 50 and death normally occurs within 5 years.


When does bulbospinal muscular atrophy manifest itself?

Bulbospinal muscular atrophy (Kennedy disease) manifests as muscle weakness between the ages of 20 and 40 years.


What is the difference between muscle tone and atrophy?

While they often can be used to indicate the same thing, strictly speaking, "atrophy" means a loss of function due to disuse. "Dystrophy" is more general, meaning "other than normal". The distinction usually comes down to this: something that was originally normal will waste away via atrophy, while something that was never normal to begin with may suffer dystrophy.


True or false does muscular dystrophy appear between 2 and 6 years of age and progresses slowly?

fales 3-5 years


What are the reasons for a muscle biopsy?

To distinguish between nerve and muscle disorders, to identify specific muscular disorders such as muscular dystrophy , to probe muscle metabolic activities, and to detect muscle infections such as trichinosis and toxoplasmosis.


What is the Difference between muscular sclerosis and muscular dystrophy?

Multiple sclerosis means "many scars" on the myelin sheath of the central nervous system, and muscular dystrophy refers to muscle weakness and atrophy. Multiple sclerosis affects nerve while muscular dystrophy affects muscle. Some of the symptoms are similar, such as extreme fatigue and difficulty with movement, but MS is an autoimmune disorder that can flare and affect a different area of the CNS each time while MD is a genetic disorder that is progressive and often follows a specific pattern (areas) of muscle wasting. With MS, disability occurs when the flares are more constant and cause permanent nerve damage to an area of the body, sometimes resulting in being blind, incontinent, wheelchair bound, or even bed ridden. With muscular dystrophy, the disability comes from the lack of stamina due to muscles wasting. Having less and less healthy muscle fibers makes the person exhausted doing simple tasks and eventually can lead to inability to lift, carry, walk, or stand. Falls can happen with both disorders, as healthy nerve and muscle are needed to balance one's body. Falling can result in a secondary disability and recovery is slow and incomplete sometimes. Both of these diseases and their sufferers need our support.


What is the difference between hypertrophy and atrophy?

Hypertrophy is the increase in size of an organ or tissue due to the enlargement of cells, while atrophy is the decrease in size of an organ or tissue due to a decrease in cell size or number. Hypertrophy is typically seen in response to increased workload or exercise, while atrophy can be caused by disuse, injury, or certain diseases.


What is the difference between cardiovascular endurance and muscular endurance?

cardiovascular =is pig muscular endurance = is cowWTF


What is the difference between muscular disorders and skeletal disorders?

Muscular disorders occur in the muscles while skeletal disorders occur in the bones.


What is the difference between muscular endurance and muscular strength?

The difference between muscular strength and muscular endurance is a matter of what is measured for each. Muscular strength is measured by how much work a certain muscle (or set of muscles) is able to accomplish. Muscular endurance is measured by how much work a certain muscle (or set of muscles) is able to accomplish over a set length of time.


Who has Muscular Dystrophy?

First, there are nine types of muscular dystrophy listed in the attached links. If you read the link, you will see the difference between them; some of them are mild, not too seriously affect the sufferers quality or length of life, others do. Without knowing which type is your son suffering of, it is impossible to write anything specific. The only common between these types is the cause. With the exception of a few cases, where the genetic mutation, some kind of abnormality, happens after births, the vast majority is inherited. In either case, the mutated (abnormal) gene is unable to supply any or enough of the necessary protein what the muscle needs for proper function. While there are a great amount of research going on for muscular dystrophy, cure is not found yet. Until a method is found to correct or replace the faulty gene or supply the needed protein, the treatments can only focus on decreasing the symptoms and increasing the comfort, thus the quality of life, as much as possible, for the sufferers'.