Differences between Upper motor neurone and Lower motor neurone Lesions

 

Sign	Upper motor neurone	Lower motor neurone
1) Weakness	Voluntary movements are disturbed	Paralysis of muscles supplied by that segment or nerve
2) Tone	Hypertonia (clasp- knife spasticity	Hypotonia
3) Reflex ( tendon)	Increased,+- clonus	Decreased or absent
4) Reflex ( superficial)	Absent or decreased	Absent or decreased
5) Plantar response	Extensor	Flexor or absent
6) Muscle nutrition	Disuse atrophy	Marked atrophy
7) Fasciculations	Absent	Present
8) Reaction of degeneration	Absent	Present