Disease onset regions and spreading patterns in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and related influencing factors
10.7652/jdyxb201504016
- VernacularTitle:散发性肌萎缩侧索硬化症起病部位和进展模式及其相关影响因素分析
- Author:
Jingxia DANG
;
Jiaoting JIN
;
Fangfang HU
;
Rui JIA
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis;
upper motor neuron;
lower motor neuron;
region of disease onset;
spreading pattern
- From:
Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University(Medical Sciences)
2015;(4):505-508,542
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To evaluate the disease onset regions and spreading patterns in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)patients and related influencing factors.Methods We performed a prospective analysis of 1 58 ALS patients.The disease-onset was confirmed according to the patients’self-reports,neurological examination results and electromyogram study.We followed up 1 5 1 patients with the second or other affected body regions during the disease progression.Data were analyzed according to the different groups of onset regions.Results 1.In 94.3% (149/1 58)of the patients,the early motor manifestations were focally in the bulbar,upper or lower limbs.2.The region of onset was associated with signs of lower motor neuron (LMN)and upper motor neuron (UMN)involvement (P = 0.000 ).The LMN involvement was more distinctive in patients with bulbar onset (65.4%,1 7/26 )group.Patients with cervical onset more frequently showed pure LMN (47.9%,45/94 )or concomitant UMN (52.1%,49/94)signs in the affected limbs.The highest proportion of UMN and LMN signs in the affected lower limb was found in the lumbar onset (83.8%,31/37 )group.3.Spreading patterns:Rostral to caudal spreading pattern was more frequent in bulbar onset patients.For patients with limb onset,there were significant differences between spreading patterns and disease-onset regions (P =0.04).Circular (31.5%,28/89),horizontal (30.3%,31/89)and vertical (21.3%,1 9/89)spreading patterns were more frequent in cervical onset patients whereas circular (47.2%,1 7/36)spreading patterns were more frequent in lumbar onset patients.4.There was a strong association between the rate of progression and age of disease onset (P =0.01 1).Patients aged over 60 had a faster progression.Conclusion ALS is a focal process at motor axis along the spinal cord and cerebral cortex.Different disease-onset can cause different distribution of UMN and LMN signs.Therefore,special attention should be paid to the signs of disease-onset clinically.ALS does start focally and spreads to adjacent regions.Elder patients have a faster disease progression.