How can you tell the difference between UMN and LMN?

[blackwolf811]

Upper motor neurons (UMN) are located within the brain and brainstem and send their axons down the spinal cord to innervate lower motor neurons (LMN). Lower motor neurons (LMN) are located within the ventral horn of the spinal cord and send their axons towards the periphery to innervate skeletal muscles.

[beautifulcat430]

An upper motor neuron lesion is a lesion of the neural pathway above the anterior horn of the spinal cord or motor nuclei of the cranial nerves. A Lower motor neuron lesion is a lesion which affects nerve fibers traveling from the anterior horn of the spinal cord to the associated muscle(s).

Similarly, is Spinal Cord Injury UMN or LMN? OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and etiology of lower motor neuron (LMN) vs upper motor neuron (UMN) lesions in patients with complete thoracic and lumbar spinal cord injuries (SCI). CONCLUSIONS: One cannot determine the type of lesion (UMN vs LMN) on the basis of the neurological level of injury.

Similarly, what are the signs of an upper motor neuron lesion?

Damage to upper motor neurons leads to a group of symptoms called upper motor neuron syndrome:

• Muscle weakness. The weakness can range from mild to severe.
• Overactive reflexes. Your muscles tense when they shouldnt.
• Tight muscles. The muscles become rigid and hard to move.
• Clonus.
• The Babinski response.

What are the characteristics of lower motor neuron lesions?

One major characteristic used to identify a lower motor neuron lesion is flaccid paralysis – paralysis accompanied by loss of muscle tone. This is in contrast to an upper motor neuron lesion, which often presents with spastic paralysis – paralysis accompanied by severe hypertonia.