Neuromuscular Function and Disorders

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the introduction the author comments that a need exists for a radically different approach to the study of neuromuscular diseases, describing them in terms of the nature of the disordered neuromuscular function. Indeed, this goal has been accomplished. The initial section discusses the basic anatomy, physiology, and chemistry of the muscle fiber, motor neuron, neuromuscular junction, muscle contraction, and motor units. Fatigue, muscle growth, alterations in muscle with aging, use, and disuse are also considered.The second portion discusses disorders of muscle and nerves in terms of abnormalities of muscle fiber membranes and their content, neuromuscular transmission and synaptic defects, Wallerian degeneration, and chemical dysfunction of neurons.Nerve and muscular function is considered in far greater detail than the clinical features. The latter are treated somewhat superficially. For example, the clinical aspects of myasthenia gravis as well as laboratory investigations in diagnosis and treatment occupy only about two pages,