Segmental motoneuronal dysfunction is a feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

There is accumulating evidence of dysfunction of spinal circuits in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The present study was undertaken to characterise the pathophysiological changes in segmental motoneuronal excitability in 28 ALS patients, using recruitment curves of the soleus H-reflex and M-wave, compared with clinical assessments of upper motor neuron (UMN) and lower motor neuron dysfunction.

H-reflex recruitment curves established that Hmax/Mmax and slope (Hθ/Mθ) ratios predicted clinical UMN dysfunction (p<0.001). Changes in Hθ/Mθ were driven by reduced Mθ. Assessment of Hmax/Mmax was similar in the ALS and control groups, and was affected by overlap of the H and M recruitment curves in ALS patients.

Changes in the slope ratio (Hθ/Mθ) in ALS suggested that alterations in peripheral motor nerve excitability following UMN damage may affect the recorded H-reflex. Increased collision of reflex discharges with antidromically-conducted motor impulses may be exacerbated in ALS due to preferential loss of large-caliber α-motoneurones, which may explain the similarities in Hmax/Mmax between groups.

Findings from the present study provide further insight into the pathophysiology of ALS, specifically the relative contributions of premotoneuronal and segmental motoneuronal dysfunction.