Progressive muscular atrophy 5663937 205027226 2008-04-11T23:29:26Z SmackBot 433328 Date the maintenance tags or general fixes {{Infobox_Disease | Name = {{PAGENAME}} | Image = | Caption = | DiseasesDB = 29149 | ICD10 = | ICD9 = {{ICD9|335.21}} | ICDO = | OMIM = | MedlinePlus = | eMedicineSubj = | eMedicineTopic = | MeshID = D009134 | }} '''Progressive muscular atrophy''' (PMA) is a rare subtype of [[Motor neurone disease]] (MND) which affects only the [[lower motor neurone]]s. This is in contrast to the most common form of MND, [[amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]], which affects both the [[upper motor neurone|upper]] and [[lower motor neurone|lower]] motor neurones. Famous people to suffer from it include [[Mike Gregory]]. ==Symptoms== As a result of lower motor neurone degeneration, the symptoms of PMA include: * [[atrophy]] * [[fasciculation]]s * [[muscle weakness]] ==Differential diagnosis== However, in contrast to [[amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]] or [[primary lateral sclerosis]], PMA is distinguished by the absence of: * brisk [[reflexes]] * [[spasticity]] * [[Babinski's sign]] * [[Emotional lability]] ==Diagnosis== To be diagnosed with PMA one must have the lower [[motor neuron]] symptoms described above in the absence of upper motor neuron symptoms for a given period of time. Some authors recommend 3 years, others 5 years or even up to 7 years. However it is worth bearing in mind that this illness can progress into typical ALS at any time, even as many as 26 years after the initial diagnosis.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} ==Prognosis== The significance of diagnosing progressive muscular atrophy as opposed to ALS is twofold. * 1) the prognosis is better. The typical prognosis for ALS is approximately 2-5 years after initial diagnosis. In PMA survival is in the order of 5-10 years.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} * 2) Patients with PMA do not suffer from the [[MND#Extra-motor change in MND|cognitive change]] identified in at least a subgroup of patients with ALS.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} ==External links== * [http://www.alsforums.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=39 PMA online support group] * [http://www.mndassociation.org/life_with_mnd/pmapls/index.html MND Association's web pages for PMA and PLS] {{Diseases of the nervous system}} [[Category:Unsolved problems in neuroscience]]