Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) is a rare neuromuscular disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness in the voluntary muscles. PLS belongs to a group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases. Motor neuron diseases develop when the nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement degenerate and die, causing weakness in the muscles they control.
It affects upper motor neurons only.
Onset of PLS usually occurs after age 50. Symptoms may...
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Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) is a rare neuromuscular disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness in the voluntary muscles. PLS belongs to a group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases. Motor neuron diseases develop when the nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement degenerate and die, causing weakness in the muscles they control.
It affects upper motor neurons only.
Onset of PLS usually occurs after age 50. Symptoms may include difficulty with balance, weakness and stiffness in the legs, and clumsiness. Other symptoms may include spasticity (involuntary, sustained contraction that is resistant to initial passive movement) in the hands, feet, or legs; foot dragging, and speech problems due to involvement of the facial muscles. The disorder usually begins in the legs, but it may also start in the tongue or the hands.
The disease -- which scientists believe is not hereditary -- progresses gradually over a number of years, or even decades. In PLS, there is no...
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