Hereditary spastic paraplegia
Other Names for this Disease
- Familial spastic paraparesis
upper motor neurons. Upper motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord deliver signals to the lower motor neurons which in turn, carry messages to the muscles. In hereditary spastic paraplegia, upper motor neurons slowly degenerate so the muscles do not receive the correct messages causing progressive spasticity (increased muscle tone/stiffness) and weakness of the legs leading to difficulty walking. As degeneration continues, symptoms worsen.Hereditary spastic paraplegia is a group of hereditary, degenerative, neurological disorders that primarily affect the
Last updated: 1/31/2013
- Fink JK. A Comparison of Hereditary Spastic Paraparesis (HSP) and Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS). Spastic Paraplegia Foundation, Inc.. November 22, 2013; http://sp-foundation.org/understanding-hsp-pls/overview-summary-chart/. Accessed 10/22/2014.
- MedlinePlus was designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, and it provides more information about this topic.
- The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) collects and disseminates research information related to neurological disorders. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
- The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is a federation of more than 130 nonprofit voluntary health organizations serving people with rare disorders. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
- Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. Click on the link to view this information. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
- Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
- PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Hereditary spastic paraplegia. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.