Prolonged survival in motor neuron disease: a descriptive study of the King's database 1990-2002.
Motor neuron disease is a clinically heterogeneous disease with significant differences in survival. The authors have characterised a subset of long term survivors seen in a tertiary clinic over a 12 year period in terms of clinical variables and demographics, comparing them with short term survivors and the remaining population. Thirty of 769 patients survived more than 10 years, corresponding to 4% of the total population. Significantly younger onset of disease symptoms and a predominance of pure upper motor neuron signs at presentation characterised the long term survivors, but factors traditionally regarded as being associated with poor prognosis were also well represented. For a few people with motor neuron disease there remains the hope, whatever the initial presentation, that their subsequent survival will be longer than expected.
Turner
M R
MR
MND Care and Research Clinic, King's College London, UK.
Parton
M J
MJ
Shaw
C E
CE
Leigh
P N
PN
Al-Chalabi
A
A
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013534:Survival