Assessment of acute motor deficit

Last reviewed: 8 Apr 2025
Last updated: 09 Jul 2024

Summary

Differentials

Common

  • Transient ischaemic attack
  • Ischaemic stroke
  • Haemorrhagic stroke
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Hypoglycaemia
  • Focal nerve palsy
  • Todd's paresis (postictal paralysis)
  • Sleep disorders
Full details

Uncommon

  • Subdural haematoma
  • Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH)
  • Haematomyelia
  • Thoracolumbar spine trauma
  • Cervical spine trauma
  • Encephalitis
  • Brain abscess
  • Coxsackievirus
  • West Nile virus (WNV)
  • Diphtheria
  • Poliovirus
  • Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS)
  • Myasthenia gravis (MG)
  • Vasculitis
  • Transverse myelitis (TM)
  • Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy
  • Acute hypokalaemia
  • Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP)
  • Periodic paralysis
  • Amyotrophic lateral syndrome
  • Muscular dystrophies
  • Common hereditary lysosomal storage diseases
  • Type 1 glycogen storage disease (GSD I)
  • Drug-induced myopathies
  • Drug-induced neuropathy
  • Toxin-induced dysfunction
  • Compartment syndrome
  • Brain tumour
  • Spinal cord compression
  • Hydrocephalus
  • Bell's palsy
  • Functional neurological disorder
Full details

Contributors

Authors

Kenneth F. Casey, MD, FACS
Kenneth F. Casey

Clinical Associate Professor PM&R

Wayne State University School of Medicine

Detroit

MI

Disclosures

KFC declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Cory Toth, BSc, MD, FRCP(C)

Assistant Professor of Neurosciences

Hotchkiss Brain Institute

University of Calgary

Alberta

Canada

Disclosures

CT declares that he has no competing interests.

Sabrina Ravaglia, MD, PhD

Staff Physician

Department of Neurological Sciences

Institute of Neurology C. Mondino

Pavia

Italy

Disclosures

SR declares that she has no competing interests.

References

Our in-house evidence and editorial teams collaborate with international expert contributors and peer reviewers to ensure that we provide access to the most clinically relevant information possible.

Key articles

Powers WJ, Rabinstein AA, Ackerson T, et al. Guidelines for the early management of patients with acute ischemic stroke: 2019 update to the 2018 guidelines for the early management of acute ischemic stroke: a guideline for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2019 Dec;50(12):e344-418.Full text  Abstract

Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, Royal College of Physicians. National clinical guideline for stroke for the United Kingdom and Ireland. Apr 2023 [internet publication].Full text

American College of Radiology​. ACR appropriateness criteria: cerebrovascular disease. 2016 [internet publication].Full text

Greenberg SM, Ziai WC, Cordonnier C, et al. 2022 Guideline for the management of patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: a guideline from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2022 Jul;53(7):e282-361.Full text  Abstract

Reference articles

A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.
  • Guidelines

    • National Clinical Guideline for Stroke for the United Kingdom and Ireland
    • 2022 Guideline for the management of patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: a guideline from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association
    More Guidelines
  • Patient information

    Multiple sclerosis

    More Patient information
  • Videos

    Diagnostic lumbar puncture in adults: animated demonstration

    More videos
  • padlock-lockedLog in or subscribe to access all of BMJ Best Practice

Use of this content is subject to our disclaimer