To determine the clinical characteristics of patients with motor neuron disease (MND) in a health care centre in Abuja, Nigeria

MND is a neuronal systemic degeneration characterized by progressive loss of motor neurons in the cerebral cortex, anterior horn cells of the spinal cord and motor nuclei of the brainstem. The subtypes include progressive bulbar palsy(PBP), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS), spinal muscular atrophy and primary lateral sclerosis. There have been few studies of motor neuron disease in Nigeria.

 The records of 14 patients with a diagnosis of MND seen at our neurology clinic from 01/01/2011-31/12/2018  were retrieved and reviewed. Patients demographic characteristics, age at onset of illness, time to wheel chair, time to death and  cause of death were obtained.

8 of the 14 patients met the El Escorial diagnostic criteria and were included. Males represented 63% (5) of the patients, 37%(3)were female. Mean age at onset was 48.3 years (range 18 - 61) .Seven (88%) of the patients had ALS, one (12%)PBP. One of the patients had an identifiable risk factor, a serious fall from an elevator.

 62% of the patients had onset of symptoms in a limb(50%,upper limb), 38% had bulbar symptoms. 40% of limb onset weakness, developed bulbar symptoms.

The time to wheel chair information was available for 6 of the 8 patients. 2 were ambulant till death ,average time to wheel chair for other 4 was 14.8 months from onset.

38% of the patients were on Riluzole. 50% of the patients had died at the conclusion of the study, average time to death from onset was 20.5 months. Cause of death in 2 of the 4 patients was complications of mechanical ventilation.