Following neurological examination, a you need to come up with a differential diagnosis

All you need to do is summarize your findings, and then decide if the findings are consistent with lower motor neurone signs or upper motor neurone signs - see table below.

Add in what you find in the sensory examination. You do NOT need to know the diagnosis

However, it is essential that you can perform a complete neurological examination

Upper Motor neurone

• Increased tone

• Reduced power (weakness)

• Brisk reflexes

• Normal muscle bulk

• Lesion in brain or spinal cord

Lower Motor neurone

• Reduced tone (flaccidity)

• Reduced power (weakness)

• Reduced or absent reflexes

• Wasting and atrophy

• Lesion of anterior horn cell body or below (peripheral nerve)