Harrison's Manual of Medicine
Chapter 188: ALS and Other Motor Neuron Diseases
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common form of progressive motor neuron disease (Table 188-1). ALS is caused by degeneration of motor neurons at all levels of the CNS, including anterior horns of the spinal cord, brainstem motor nuclei, and motor cortex. Familial ALS (FALS) represents 5–10% of the total and is inherited usually as an autosomal dominant disorder.
| CHRONIC | ENTITY |
|---|---|
| Upper and lower motor neuron | Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis |
| Predominantly upper motor neuron | Primary lateral sclerosis |
| Predominantly lower motor neuron | Multifocal motor neuropathy with conduction block |
| Motor neuropathy with paraproteinemia or cancer | |
| Motor predominant peripheral neuropathies | |
| Other | |
| Associated with other neurodegenerative disorders | |
| Secondary motor neuron disorders (see Table 188-2) | |
| Acute | |
| Poliomyelitis | |
| Herpes zoster | |
| Coxsackie virus | |
| West Nile virus |
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