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Review
. 2015 Nov;33(4):735-48.
doi: 10.1016/j.ncl.2015.07.006. Epub 2015 Sep 8.

Patterns of Weakness, Classification of Motor Neuron Disease, and Clinical Diagnosis of Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Jeffrey M Statland  1 , Richard J Barohn  2 , April L McVey  2 , Jonathan S Katz  3 , Mazen M Dimachkie  2
Affiliations
Review

Patterns of Weakness, Classification of Motor Neuron Disease, and Clinical Diagnosis of Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Jeffrey M Statland et al. Neurol Clin. 2015 Nov.

Abstract

When approaching a patient with suspected motor neuron disease (MND), the pattern of weakness on examination helps distinguish MND from other diseases of peripheral nerves, the neuromuscular junction, or muscle. MND is a clinical diagnosis supported by findings on electrodiagnostic testing. MNDs exist on a spectrum, from a pure lower motor neuron to mixed upper and lower motor neuron to a pure upper motor neuron variant. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive mixed upper and lower motor neuron disorder, most commonly sporadic, which is invariably fatal. This article describes a pattern approach to identifying MND and clinical features of sporadic ALS.

Keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Lou Gehrig disease; Lower motor neuron; Motor neuron disease; Upper motor neuron.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The spectrum of motor neuron diseases
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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