[Spinal muscular atrophy in adults].

Clinico-electromyographic characterization of 20 patients with different forms of the spinal muscular atrophy (bulbospinal in 8 patients, chronic proximal in 5, distal in 7) is reported. The patients displayed the characteristic clinical signs and neuronal changes in EMG. The latter data are specified for each form. The authors infer that the spinal muscular atrophy in adults, children and adolescents fall into one group, though differing in the onset age, type of inheritance, clinical features, severity and prognosis.