Publication

Can lesions to the motor cortex induce amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?

Journal Paper/Review - Nov 20, 2013

Units
PubMed
Doi

Citation
Rosenbohm A, Ludolph A, Weishaupt J, Andersen P, Weber M, Huppertz H, Kubisch C, Volk A, Marroquin N, Weydt P, Kassubek J, ALS Schwaben Register Group. Can lesions to the motor cortex induce amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?. J Neurol 2013; 261:283-90.
Type
Journal Paper/Review (English)
Journal
J Neurol 2013; 261
Publication Date
Nov 20, 2013
Issn Electronic
1432-1459
Pages
283-90
Brief description/objective

A recent staging effort for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has demonstrated that the TDP-43 neuropathology may initiate focally in the motor cortex in the majority of patients. We searched our data bank for patients with lesions of the motor cortex which preceded disease onset. We performed a search of our patient- and MRI-data bank and screened 1,835 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis for frontal lobe/motor cortex lesions. We found 18 patients with definite ALS who had documented and defined lesions of the motor cortex, which preceded the initial ALS symptoms by 8-42 years. In the vast majority (15/18) of the patients, the onset of ALS was closely related to the focal lesion since it started in a body region reflecting the damaged cortical area. The findings suggest that initial lesions to the motor cortex may be a contributing initiating factor in some patients with ALS or determine the site of onset in individuals pre-disposed to ALS.