Pattern difference of dissociated hand muscle atrophy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and variants. Issue 3 (29th January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kim, Jee‐Eun; Hong, Yoon‐Ho; Lee, Joon‐Hyung; Ahn, Suk‐Won; Kim, Sung‐Min; Park, Kyung‐Seok; Sung, Jung‐Joon; Lee, Kwang‐Woo; Seong, Seung‐Yong
• Is Part Of: Muscle & nerve. Volume 51:Issue 3(2015:Mar.)
• Page Start: 333
• Page End: 337
• Publication Date: 2015-01-29
• Subjects: Neuromuscular diseases -- Periodicals; Muscles -- Periodicals; Nerves -- Periodicals; 616.74
• DOI: 10.1002/mus.24323
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0148-639X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>ABSTRACT</title> <p> <italic>Introduction</italic>: Split hand is considered to be a specific feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). <italic>Methods</italic>: We evaluated the pattern difference of intrinsic hand muscles of upper limb‐onset ALS (UL‐ALS), upper limb‐onset progressive muscular atrophy (UL‐PMA), brachial amyotrophic diplegia (BAD), and Hirayama disease (HD) by measuring objective electrophysiological markers. <italic>Results</italic>: The abductor digiti minimi (ADM)/abductor pollicis brevis (APB) compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude ratio was significantly higher in UL‐ALS than other variants, but a considerable proportion of UL‐ALS cases had an amplitude ratio in the range of other variants. Absent APB CMAP and abnormally high ADM/APB CMAP amplitude ratio (≥4) occurred only with UL‐ALS. Conversely, an absent ADM CMAP was identified only in UL‐PMA and BAD. <italic>Conclusions</italic>: The absolute ADM/APB CMAP amplitude ratio was not specific for ALS; however, several findings from simple electrophysiological measurements may help predict prognosis in patients with motor neuron diseases and may be early diagnostic markers for ALS. <italic>Muscle Nerve</italic> 51: 333–337, 2015</p> </abstract>