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