Motor neurone disease
Here you'll find our current definition of the critical illness, additional condition or child specific condition we cover. We've also listed any previous definitions we may have had. With each new definition we've highlighted what's changed from the previous definition.
Current definition
October 2016
Motor neurone disease and specified diseases of the motor neurones – resulting in permanent symptoms
A definite diagnosis of one of the following motor neurone diseases by a consultant neurologist:
- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Kennedy’s disease, also known as spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA)
- primary lateral sclerosis (PLS)
- progressive bulbar palsy (PBP)
- progressive muscular atrophy (PMA).
There must also be permanent clinical impairment of motor function.
Change from the previous definition
Kennedy's disease has been added to the list of covered motor neurone diseases.
We also added "and specified diseases of the motor neurones" to the definition heading.
Previous definitions
November 2015
Motor neurone disease – resulting in permanent symptoms
A definite diagnosis of one of the following motor neurone diseases by a consultant neurologist:
- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- primary lateral sclerosis (PLS)
- progressive bulbar palsy (PBP)
- progressive muscular atrophy (PMA).
There must also be permanent clinical impairment of motor function.