Progressive bulbar palsy (also known simply as PBP) is a medical condition. It belongs to a group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases (Lapiedra 2002). PBP is a disease that attacks the nerves supplying the bulbar muscles. These disorders are characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons in the cerebral cortex, spinal cord, brain stem, and pyramidal tracts. This specifically involves the glossopharyngeal nerve (IX), vagus nerve (X), and hypoglossal nerve (XII) (Hughes 1998).
This disorder should not be confused with pseudobulbar palsy or progressive spinal muscular atrophy (Hughes 1998). The term Infantile progressive bulbar palsy is used to describe progressive bulbar palsy in children.
Some neurologists consider this disorder to be a subset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but others disagree with that classification.
Read more about Progressive Bulbar Palsy: Origin, Epidemiology, Etiology, Symptoms, Treatment, See Also
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