Introduction Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a neurological disorder, named after the three physicians who first described it in 1886

Jean-Martin Charcot and Pierre Marie of France, and Howard Henry Tooth of the United Kingdom. Although most people have never heard of CMT, it affects some 115,000 Americans. Unlike other neurological disorders, CMT usually isnt life-threatening, and it almost never affects the brain. It causes damage to the peripheral nerves tracts of nerve cell fibers that connect the brain and spinal cord to muscles and sensory organs. Peripheral nerves control movement by relaying impulses from the spinal cord to muscles. They convey sensation by carrying feelings like pain and temperature from the hands and feet to the spinal cord. They also help control balance, by carrying information about the position of the body in space. They transmit information about the feet and hands to the spinal cord and then the brain, so that the brain knows where to place the feet when walking and where the hands should be placed to reach for something. Nerve damage, or neuropathy, causes muscle weakness and wasting, and some loss of sensation, mostly in the extremities of the body: the feet, the lower legs, the hands and the forearms. Although CMT can look very similar to an acquired neuropathy a type of nerve damage caused by diabetes, immunological abnormalities or exposure to certain chemicals or drugs it isnt caused by anything a person does, and it isnt contagious. Its hereditary, meaning that it can be passed down through a family from one generation to the next. Because of these features, CMT is sometimes called hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN). Some doctors also use the old-fashioned name peroneal muscular atrophy, which refers to wasting of the peroneal muscle in the lower leg. Although theres no cure for CMT, there are treatments that can be used to effectively manage its symptoms. Those treatments, described here along with a general overview of CMT, have allowed many people with the disease to lead active, productive lives. What causes CMT? What happens to someone with CMT, and how is it treated? What are the different types of CMT? How is CMT diagnosed? Does It Run in the Family? What are the symptoms of CMT?

Reference
http://mda.org/disease/charcot-marie-tooth/overview http://mda.org/sites/default/files/publications/Facts_CMT_P-180_0.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CharcotMarieTooth_disease