From HPO
Dysphagia- MedGen UID:
- 41440
- •Concept ID:
- C0011168
- •
- Disease or Syndrome
Difficulty in swallowing.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis- MedGen UID:
- 274
- •Concept ID:
- C0002736
- •
- Disease or Syndrome
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease that affects motor neurons, which are specialized nerve cells that control muscle movement. These nerve cells are found in the spinal cord and the brain. In ALS, motor neurons die (atrophy) over time, leading to muscle weakness, a loss of muscle mass, and an inability to control movement.\n\nThere are many different types of ALS; these types are distinguished by their signs and symptoms and their genetic cause or lack of clear genetic association. Most people with ALS have a form of the condition that is described as sporadic, which means it occurs in people with no apparent history of the disorder in their family. People with sporadic ALS usually first develop features of the condition in their late fifties or early sixties. A small proportion of people with ALS, estimated at 5 to 10 percent, have a family history of ALS or a related condition called frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which is a progressive brain disorder that affects personality, behavior, and language. The signs and symptoms of familial ALS typically first appear in one's late forties or early fifties. Rarely, people with familial ALS develop symptoms in childhood or their teenage years. These individuals have a rare form of the disorder known as juvenile ALS.\n\nThe first signs and symptoms of ALS may be so subtle that they are overlooked. The earliest symptoms include muscle twitching, cramping, stiffness, or weakness. Affected individuals may develop slurred speech (dysarthria) and, later, difficulty chewing or swallowing (dysphagia). Many people with ALS experience malnutrition because of reduced food intake due to dysphagia and an increase in their body's energy demands (metabolism) due to prolonged illness. Muscles become weaker as the disease progresses, and arms and legs begin to look thinner as muscle tissue atrophies. Individuals with ALS eventually lose muscle strength and the ability to walk. Affected individuals eventually become wheelchair-dependent and increasingly require help with personal care and other activities of daily living. Over time, muscle weakness causes affected individuals to lose the use of their hands and arms. Breathing becomes difficult because the muscles of the respiratory system weaken. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure within 2 to 10 years after the signs and symptoms of ALS first appear; however, disease progression varies widely among affected individuals.\n\nApproximately 20 percent of individuals with ALS also develop FTD. Changes in personality and behavior may make it difficult for affected individuals to interact with others in a socially appropriate manner. Communication skills worsen as the disease progresses. It is unclear how the development of ALS and FTD are related. Individuals who develop both conditions are diagnosed as having ALS-FTD.\n\nA rare form of ALS that often runs in families is known as ALS-parkinsonism-dementia complex (ALS-PDC). This disorder is characterized by the signs and symptoms of ALS, in addition to a pattern of movement abnormalities known as parkinsonism, and a progressive loss of intellectual function (dementia). Signs of parkinsonism include unusually slow movements (bradykinesia), stiffness, and tremors. Affected members of the same family can have different combinations of signs and symptoms.
Dysarthria- MedGen UID:
- 8510
- •Concept ID:
- C0013362
- •
- Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Dysarthric speech is a general description referring to a neurological speech disorder characterized by poor articulation. Depending on the involved neurological structures, dysarthria may be further classified as spastic, flaccid, ataxic, hyperkinetic and hypokinetic, or mixed.
Fasciculations- MedGen UID:
- 5124
- •Concept ID:
- C0015644
- •
- Sign or Symptom
Fasciculations are observed as small, local, involuntary muscle contractions (twitching) visible under the skin. Fasciculations result from increased irritability of an axon (which in turn is often a manifestation of disease of a motor neuron). This leads to sporadic discharges of all the muscle fibers controlled by the axon in isolation from other motor units.
Spasticity- MedGen UID:
- 7753
- •Concept ID:
- C0026838
- •
- Sign or Symptom
A motor disorder characterized by a velocity-dependent increase in tonic stretch reflexes with increased muscle tone, exaggerated (hyperexcitable) tendon reflexes.
Pseudobulbar paralysis- MedGen UID:
- 10989
- •Concept ID:
- C0033790
- •
- Disease or Syndrome
Bilateral impairment of the function of the cranial nerves 9-12, which control musculature involved in eating, swallowing, and speech. Pseudobulbar paralysis is characterized clinically by dysarthria, dysphonia, and dysphagia with bifacial paralysis, and may be accompanied by Pseudobulbar behavioral symptoms such as enforced crying and laughing.
Sleep apnea- MedGen UID:
- 11458
- •Concept ID:
- C0037315
- •
- Disease or Syndrome
An intermittent cessation of airflow at the mouth and nose during sleep is known as sleep apnea. Apneas that last at least 10 seconds are considered significant, but individuals with sleep apnea may experience apneas lasting from 20 seconds up to 2 or 3 minutes. Patients may have up to 15 events per hour of sleep.
Hyperreflexia- MedGen UID:
- 57738
- •Concept ID:
- C0151889
- •
- Finding
Hyperreflexia is the presence of hyperactive stretch reflexes of the muscles.
Degeneration of anterior horn cells- MedGen UID:
- 375215
- •Concept ID:
- C1843505
- •
- Finding
Degeneration of the lateral corticospinal tracts- MedGen UID:
- 375921
- •Concept ID:
- C1846566
- •
- Finding
Deterioration of the tissues of the lateral corticospinal tracts.
Muscle spasm- MedGen UID:
- 52431
- •Concept ID:
- C0037763
- •
- Sign or Symptom
Sudden and involuntary contractions of one or more muscles.
Muscle weakness- MedGen UID:
- 57735
- •Concept ID:
- C0151786
- •
- Finding
Reduced strength of muscles.
Muscular atrophy- MedGen UID:
- 892680
- •Concept ID:
- C0541794
- •
- Pathologic Function
The presence of skeletal muscular atrophy (which is also known as amyotrophy).
- Abnormality of the digestive system
- Abnormality of the musculoskeletal system
- Abnormality of the nervous system