A. Haque et al., NEW FINDINGS AND SYMPTOMATIC TREATMENT FOR NEUROLATHYRISM, A MOTOR-NEURON DISEASE OCCURRING IN NORTH-WEST BANGLADESH, Paraplegia, 32(3), 1994, pp. 193-195
Neurolathyrism is a form of spastic paraparesis caused by the neuroexc
itatory amino acid 3-N-oxalyl-L-2,3-diaminopropanoic acid (beta-ODAP)
present in the seeds and foliage of Lathyrus sativus. The disease is i
rreversible and usually nonprogressive. Tolperisone HCl, a centrally a
cting muscle relaxant, has been shown to reduce significantly the spas
ticity in neurolathyrism patients. Sporadic occurrence of HTLV-1 infec
tion (0.9%) and of osteolathyrism was found among the neurolathyrism p
atients. Osteolathyrism is linked to the consumption of the green shoo
ts of Lathyrus sativus.