Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42214042›Full record

ArticleNeurology2026

Diagnostic Revision From Primary Lateral Sclerosis to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Cohort Study.

Eva M J de Boer, Sean W Willemse, Jan H Veldink, H Stephan Goedee, Alexander F J E Vrancken, Wouter van Rheenen, Henk-Jan Westeneng, Leonard H van den Berg, Michael A van Es

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Eva M J de BoerFrom the Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-2629-2748
Sean W WillemseFrom the Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-0198-5740
Jan H VeldinkFrom the Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-5572-9657
H Stephan GoedeeFrom the Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Alexander F J E VranckenFrom the Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-4649-6534
Wouter van RheenenFrom the Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-5860-1533
Henk-Jan WestenengFrom the Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-7138-3852
Leonard H van den BergFrom the Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-6559-3965
Michael A van EsFrom the Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-7709-5883

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesPrimary lateral sclerosis (PLS) is defined as a pure upper motor neuron syndrome and is a diagnosis of exclusion, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) being the most likely alternative diagnostic consideration. A minimum disease duration of 2 years is required for the diagnosis of PLS, after which patients are classified as probable PLS (P-PLS) and subsequently as definite PLS (D-PLS) after 4 years. Our aim is to apply the current diagnostic criteria to a population-based cohort and investigate which clinical characteristics are associated with a diagnostic revision to ALS.

methodsThis cohort study included patients meeting the current diagnostic criteria for PLS retrospectively from the Dutch Motor Neuron Disease Registry. Diagnostic revision to ALS was based on clinical assessment, EMG findings according to the revised El Escorial Criteria, or if patients had died from disease progression within 4 years of disease onset. Clinical characteristics were compared for patients who underwent diagnostic revision with ALS vs true PLS. Subdistribution hazard ratios (SHRs) for characteristics associated with diagnostic revision were determined using Fine-Gray regression.

resultsWe included 478 patients (median age of onset 59.3 years, interquartile range 50.8-67.0, 47.9% female), of whom 311 (65.1%) met criteria for P-PLS and 167 (34.9%) for D-PLS at diagnosis. Eighty-eight patients (18%) underwent diagnostic revision to ALS, 76 cases (86%) before 4 years of disease duration. Patients whose diagnosis was revised to ALS had higher median age at onset (63.4 vs 58.0 years, DISCUSSION: In our cohort, most diagnostic revisions from PLS to ALS were in patients with a disease duration of less than 4 years. Besides disease duration, a faster progression rate was associated with diagnostic revision from PLS to ALS. Adding progression rate to the current diagnostic criteria could increase accuracy and help identify patients at higher risk of developing ALS.

Indexed as

Amyotrophic Lateral SclerosisMotor Neuron DiseaseAgedCohort StudiesDisease ProgressionElectromyographyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNetherlandsRegistriesRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID42214042
PMCPMC13580401

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.