Progressive muscular atrophy (PMA), also known as Duchenne-Aran muscular atrophy and Duchenne-Aran disease — is a rare subtype of motor neuron disease (MND) which affects only the lower motor neurones. PMA is thought to account for around 4% of all MND cases. This is in contrast to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common form of MND, which affects both the upper and lower motor neurones, or primary lateral sclerosis, another rare MND variant, which affects only the upper motor neurons. The distinction is important because PMA is associated with a better prognosis than classical ALS.
Read more about Progressive Muscular Atrophy: History, Symptoms, Differential Diagnosis, Diagnosis, Prognosis, Disease or Syndrome?, Notable People With PMA, External Links
Famous quotes containing the words progressive, muscular and/or atrophy:
“A man is a method, a progressive arrangement; a selecting principle, gathering his like to him; wherever he goes.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“These calves, grown muscular with certainties;
This nose, three medium-sized pink strawberries”
—Randall Jarrell (1914–1965)
“The author’s conviction on this day of New Year is that music begins to atrophy when it departs too far from the dance; that poetry begins to atrophy when it gets too far from music; but this must not be taken as implying that all good music is dance music or all poetry lyric. Bach and Mozart are never too far from physical movement.”
—Ezra Pound (1885–1972)