PLS (primary lateral sclerosis). A muscle nerve disease in which the motor nerve cells to decline. PLS leads to stiffness and spasticity of the muscles in the mouth, legs and arms. It can lead to disability. PLS belongs to a group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases. By PLS, central locomotive nerve cells in a brain territory die off. It causes a scarring/ hardening of the tissue alongside the spinal cord. The whole of the pyramidal channel can be affected; The upper nerve passages continue to be unaffected though. The tissue hardening originates in the lower section of the spinal cord and results in spasticity of the legs.

In the course of the process the hardening may expand to the upper part, up to the neck spinal cord region and the brainstem. This development may end up in mal or non-functioning of the moving process of legs, Arms, and hands and a defective process of your speech and swallow organ functions.

PLS is a diagnosis of exclusion. This means that it yet no test is that determines or someone PLS has.

The right diagnosis requires a quantity of tests that prove must that other illnesses (as multiple sclerose, amyotrofische laterale sclerose, brains or spinal cord tumor, backbone wounds, vitamin B12 deficiency and the possibility on viruses) have can that equal symptoms, are excluded. P.L.S. is non-hereditary, but (mostly slowly) progressive. P.L.S. is a rare disease. In the Netherlands there are about 150 patients. This accounts for the fact that quite a few doctors are not acquainted with the disease. Hardly any research has been done into the causes of the disease. PLS is so rare that the medical literature it no estimation of has how many PLS patients there be. In 2003 in the Netherlands with a 3 years, lasting scientific investigation started is to P. L. S. Primary Lateral Sclerosis is in the Netherlands classified by the muscle illnesses, because one assuming that it a connection exists with ALS. Some cases of PLS must revise become later in the diagnosis ALS. This comes sporadic for.

Jos Lotz.