Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a common inherited neurological disorder that damages which component of the nervous system?

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a common inherited neurological disorder that damages which component of the nervous system?

• A. Central nervous system demyelination
• B. Peripheral nerve myelin damage
• C. Autoimmune attack on the neuromuscular junction
• D. Degenerative brain disease

Answer: (B)

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a hereditary neuropathy that primarily involves the peripheral nerves. The defining issue is damage to the myelin sheath (or sometimes the axon) of peripheral nerves, which slows nerve signals and leads to distal muscle weakness and sensory changes. This distinguishes it from central nervous system demyelination (which happens in diseases like multiple sclerosis), an autoimmune attack on the neuromuscular junction (as in myasthenia gravis), or a degenerative brain disease. So the component being damaged is the peripheral nerve myelin of the peripheral nervous system.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a hereditary neuropathy that primarily involves the peripheral nerves. The defining issue is damage to the myelin sheath (or sometimes the axon) of peripheral nerves, which slows nerve signals and leads to distal muscle weakness and sensory changes. This distinguishes it from central nervous system demyelination (which happens in diseases like multiple sclerosis), an autoimmune attack on the neuromuscular junction (as in myasthenia gravis), or a degenerative brain disease. So the component being damaged is the peripheral nerve myelin of the peripheral nervous system.