This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Upper motor neurone signs

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Upper motor neurone signs are the result of an interruption in the neural pathway above the anterior horn cell.

Characteristic of an upper motor neurone disease are:

  • weakness - the extensors are weaker than the flexors in the arms, but the reverse is true in the legs
  • muscle wasting is absent or slight - muscle wasting is prominent in a lower motor neurone lesion
  • hyper-reflexia and clonus - reflexes are absent or reduced in a lower motor neurone lesion
  • spasticity
  • no fasciculations - fasciculations occur in a lower motor neurone lesion
  • extensor plantar responses

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.