• M R Turner, M J Parton, C E Shaw, P N Leigh, and A Al-Chalabi.
• MND Care and Research Clinic, King's College London, UK.
• J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. 2003 Jul 1; 74 (7): 995-7.

AbstractMotor neuron disease is a clinically heterogeneous disease with significant differences in survival. The authors have characterised a subset of long term survivors seen in a tertiary clinic over a 12 year period in terms of clinical variables and demographics, comparing them with short term survivors and the remaining population. Thirty of 769 patients survived more than 10 years, corresponding to 4% of the total population. Significantly younger onset of disease symptoms and a predominance of pure upper motor neuron signs at presentation characterised the long term survivors, but factors traditionally regarded as being associated with poor prognosis were also well represented. For a few people with motor neuron disease there remains the hope, whatever the initial presentation, that their subsequent survival will be longer than expected.

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