Disease duration of progression is helpful in identifying isolated bulbar palsy of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

BMC Neurology

Table 2 Clinical characteristics of 115 patients with bulbar onset ALS

Groups	Gender, n (male: female)	Onset age (years)	Course (months)	ALSFRS- R score	Limb Weakness, n (%)	Brisk tendon reflex, n (%)	Babinski’s sign, n (%)	Hoffmann’s/ Rossolimo’s sign, n (%)	Pure UMN bulbar signs, n (%)	Pure LMN bulbar signs, n (%)
IBP(n = 19) Typical bulbar onset ALS (n = 96) Statistics P	7:12 (0.6:1)	56.9 ± 9.7	25(10,43)	41.1 ± 3.1	6(31.6)	13(68.4)	2(10.5)	5(26.3)	3(15.8)	3(15.8)
	59:37 (1.6:1)^*	56.9 ± 10.3	10(2,39)^*	39.6 ± 6.4	64(66.7)^*	71(74.0)	30(31.3)	42(43.8)	2(2.1)^*	8(8.3)
	3.930^†	0.024^‡	5.271^§	1.582^‡	8.198^†	0.247^†	3.392^†	1.995^†	–	–
	0.047	0.981	< 0.001	0.119	0.004	0.619	0.066	0.158	0.031	0.387

Values are presented as n (%), mean ± SD or median (minimum, maximum). ^*P value for contrast of variates between patients with IBP and typical bulbar onset ALS; P < 0.05, as compared with patients with IBP. ^†χ² values; ^‡t values; ^§Z values. ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, IBP Isolated bulbar palsy, ALSFRS-R Revised ALS Functional Rating Scale, UMN Upper motor neuron, LMN Lower motor neuron, − = Not applicable, SD Standard deviation

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