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Peripheral Neuropathy and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

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Neuro-Geriatrics

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Abstract

This chapter covers two groups of disorders that share a common anatomical substrate (the peripheral nervous system), but are strikingly different in their biology, prevalence, clinical presentations, and prognosis. Polyneuropathy is common, affects up to 8% of the population older than 50 years (J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 62:310–318, 1997), is diverse in its cause (often symptomatic of a underlying systemic disorder such as diabetes), often presents with sensory symptoms or pain, and usually has a chronic benign course. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, on the other hand, is an uncommon although not rare (lifetime risk about 1/400) (Eur J Neurol 16:745–751, 2009) relatively homogenous primary neurodegeneration that largely manifests with muscle weakness/atrophy, and is fatal (median survival is about 3 years).

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Abbreviations

ALS:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

CIAP:

Chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy

CIDP:

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy

CMT:

Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome

DSP:

Distal symmetric polyneuropathy

EDX:

Electrodiagnostic testing

FAP:

Familial amyloid polyneuropathy

FVC:

Forced vital capacity

GBS:

Guillain-Barré syndrome

GTT:

Glucose tolerance test

HNPP:

Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies

IGT:

Impaired glucose tolerance

LMN:

Lower motor neuron

MAG:

Myelin-associated glycoprotein

MGUS:

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance

MMN:

Multifocal motor neuropathy

NIPPV:

Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation

PEG:

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

RLS:

Restless legs syndrome

SNRI:

Serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor

TCA:

Tricyclic antidepressant

TTR:

Transthyretin

UMN:

Upper motor neuron

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuromuscular Center, Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Desk S90, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA

    Nimish J. Thakore M.D. & Erik P. Pioro M.D., Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Nimish J. Thakore M.D.
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  2. Erik P. Pioro M.D., Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Erik P. Pioro M.D., Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Cleveland Clinic, Neurological Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Babak Tousi

  2. Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Cleveland Clinic, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

    Jeffrey Cummings

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Thakore, N.J., Pioro, E.P. (2017). Peripheral Neuropathy and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. In: Tousi, B., Cummings, J. (eds) Neuro-Geriatrics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56484-5_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56484-5_16

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