Sensory symptoms
| Diagnosis* | Prevalence | Usual symptom duration | Key features | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Migraine | 150/1000 | >5 min to hours | Variable intensity and topography | No signs, ±headache |
| Neuropathy | 60/1000 | Fixed | Distal sensory loss and arreflexia | May be painful |
| Stroke | 15/1000 | Ongoing | Focal deficits | Fixed deficits (50%)? |
| Transient ischaemic attack | 3/1000 | Minutes–24 hours | Numbness | May have deficits |
| Sensory seizures | 1/1000 | Seconds | Positive (eg, tingling) | Structural cause common |
| Multiple sclerosis | 1/1000 | Variable | Upper motor neuron signs | Interpret MRI with care |
| Chronic fatigue syndrome | 0.3/1000? | Frequent, intermittent | Hypersensitivity | May have ‘migraine plus’ |
| Functional | ? | Frequent, intermittent | Variable, diffuse, no signs | May have ‘migraine plus’ |
*Variable percentages of these patients will have sensory symptoms.