Comparative assessment of limb function and conduction parameters in peripheral nerves in the course of two forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, incurable, neurodegenerative disease affecting the upper and lower motor neuron, which inevitably leads to the impaired fitness of patients and therefore deterioration of their quality of life.

AIM: The aim of the study was a comparative assessment of two forms of ALS in terms of limb function and electrophysiological parameters of peripheral nerves.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 20 persons participated in the study, where 10 suffered from bulbar-onset ALS and 10 had limb-onset ALS. Patients were examined clinically and electrophysiologically three times at three-month intervals. Rene Zazzo's card test and Mira Stambak's line-drawing test as well as the 10-metre walk test were used to assess limb function. The results of electrophysiological conduction in the area of nerves of upper and lower limbs were subjected to statistical analysis, as were the results of tests used to assess limb function.

RESULTS: The comparative analysis of the obtained results demonstrated that patients with limb-onset ALS showed significant deterioration of conduction in proximal nerve sections compared to patients with bulbaronset ALS. Clinical reflection of this was impairment of limb function with a tendency for progression of these changes over time.

CONCLUSIONS: Progressive impairment of conduction in the area of proximal nerve sections and ventral roots of spinal nerves is reflected by the increasing disability of limbs in patients with ALS. In the course of the disease, patients with limb-onset ALS show both worse nerve conduction and limb function than patients with bulbar-onset ALS.