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Definition - a disease in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues ("autoimmune" disease); the attack occurs at the junction between nerve and muscle and targets the acetylcholine receptor, the part of a muscle cell that receives signals from a nerve cell; or muscle-specific kinase, a protein that helps organize acetylcholine receptors on the muscle cell
Cause - the cause is unclear; researchers suspect viruses or bacteria might trigger the autoimmune response; the thymus gland also seems sometimes to play a role in the disease
Onset - usually after age 40; young adults more likely to be women; older adults more likely to be men
Symptoms - fatigue and weakness of voluntary muscles; partial paralysis of eye movements, double vision, droopy eyelids; weakness and fatigue in neck and jaws with problems in chewing, swallowing and holding up the head; weakness can become more generalized
Progression - weakness fluctuates each day but tends to spread and progress over the course of a few years, if not effectively treated; weakness requiring a wheelchair is almost unheard of; with proper treatment people can remain physically active
Inheritance - There appears to be a genetic predisposition to autoimmune diseases.
 Facts About Myasthenia Gravis, LEMS and CMS
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