In article <D22559.BJ1 at murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>,
Mallory Leslie McClure <mlm2s at galen.med.Virginia.EDU> wrote:
>I am a bit confused about ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease.) Isn't
>ALS a disease which attacks lower motor neurons in the spinal
>cord? If so, how does it cause bilateral Babinski signs--we
>were told this in class yesterday and I didn't understand.
>Please help me to sort this out. Thanks.
>>Confused yet again,
>M.McClure
>--
>Mallory L. McClure, University ofVirginia School of Medicine class of 1997
>(Brown University class of 1992)
>mlm2s at virginia.edu>
ALS affects both the corticospinal tracts (upper motor neurons)
and the anterior horn cells. There are less common disorders
which affect only the corticospinal tracts (e.g., primary
lateral sclerosis) or only the anterior horn cells.
--
Tom Bleck (Thomas P. Bleck, M.D.) tbleck at virginia.edu
Departments of Neurology and Neurological Surgery
University of Virginia School of Medicine
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