• ALS
• motor neuron disease
• neuromuscular

There is a vocal section of the regular audience attending the neurology grand rounds at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, who proudly occupy what might be termed ‘Pedants’ Corner’. Of late, these consultants, for that is what they are, have become increasingly concerned by the widespread misuse of the word ‘fasciculations’ for what Charcot referred to as ‘fibrillar twitches of muscles’ in his original description of the disease he named sclérose latérale amyotrophique.

Fasciculation (noun). a. The state of being fasciculate. b. That which is fasciculated. c. Physiology [from FASCICUL(US)] Uncoordinated twitching of a muscle, especially that involving the simultaneous contraction of whole bundles or fasciculi of muscle fibres.¹

The word fasciculation …