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| Upper motor neuron lesion | |
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| The motor tract. | |
| Specialty | Neurology |
Anupper motor neuron lesion (also known aspyramidal insufficiency) Is an injury or abnormality that occurs in the neural pathway above theanterior horn cell of the spinal cord ormotor nuclei of thecranial nerves. Conversely, alower motor neuron lesion affects nerve fibers traveling from the anterior horn of thespinal cord or the cranial motor nuclei to the relevant muscle(s).[1]
Upper motor neuron lesions occur in the brain or the spinal cord as the result ofstroke,multiple sclerosis,traumatic brain injury,cerebral palsy,atypical parkinsonisms,multiple system atrophy, andamyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Changes in muscle performance can be broadly described as theupper motor neuron syndrome. These changes vary depending on the site and the extent of the lesion, and may include:
These are the neural tracts which descend in theventral horn of the spinal cord, carrying signals for voluntary movement of skeletal muscle. From their origin in theprimary motor cortex, these nerves pass via thecorona radiata to gather in theinternal capsule before crossing over to the opposite side (decussation) in themedullary pyramids and proceeding down the spinal cord to meetlower motor neurons in theanterior grey column.
During an exam, your doctor will look for signs of a nervous system problem by checking your:
The treatment of an upper motor neuron lesion will be dependent on the underlying cause.