Ischaemic and postischaemic paraesthesiae in motor neurone disease.

In a recent study of ischaemic and post-ischaemic paraesthesiae in the upper limb (Poole, 1956a) it was noted that the responses in subjects with advanced motor neurone disease differed from those in normal subjects. This observation seemed relevant to the study both of motor neurone disease itself, and of factors which determine the production of paraesthesiae in normal and other diseased states, e.g., polyneuritis (Poole, 1956b). This report is to amplify the original observations and to draw attention to a simple clinical investigation from which useful information may accrue. For a general description of ischaemic and post-ischaefmic paraesthesiae reference may be made to previous studies in this field (Lewis, Pickering, and Rothschild, 1931; Zotterman, 1933; Kugelberg, 1944; Weddell and Sinclair, 1947; Merrington and Nathan, 1949). The abbreviations employed here are I.P. for ischaemic paraesthesiae and P.I.P. for the pricking and tingling elements of post-ischaemic paraesthesiae.