Motor neurone disease

Abstract

Motor neurone disease (MND) patients exhibit poor gait, balance, and postural control, all of which significantly increases their risk of falling. Falls are frequent in the MND population, and are associated with an increased burden of disease. The complex interplay of both motor and extramotor manifestations in this disease contributes to the heterogeneous and multifactorial causes of such dysfunction. This review highlights the pathophysiologic influence of motor degeneration in gait disturbance, but also the additional influence on postural instability from other inputs such as cognitive impairment, autonomic dysregulation, cerebellar dysfunction, sensory impairment, and extrapyramidal involvement. In various combinations, these impairments are responsible for reduced gait speed and alteration in gait cycle, as well as structurally more variable and disorganized gait patterns. Based on these features, this chapter will also provide disease-specific interventions to assess, manage, and prevent falls in the MND cohort.

Keywords: falls; gait; motor neurone disease; neurodegeneration; postural stability; walking.