What's hereditary spastic paraplegia?
Hereditary spastic paraplegia is a group of rare inherited neurodegenerative disorders that cause progressive weakness and spasticity of the lower limbs, from degeneration of the corticospinal tracts.
| Features mapped | 6 |
|---|---|
| Treatments mapped | 1 |
| Published sources | 7 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-08-04 |
Signs and symptoms
Lower limb muscle weakness
Progressive weakness of the lower limbs accompanies the spasticity of hereditary spastic paraplegia.
Hyperreflexia
Hyperreflexia (overactive reflexes), reflecting corticospinal tract involvement, is characteristic of hereditary spastic paraplegia, alongside lower-limb stiffness.
Urinary bladder sphincter dysfunction
Bladder dysfunction is among the most prominent features of hereditary spastic paraplegia, sometimes with mild sensory changes.
Lower limb spasticity
Progressive spasticity (stiffness) of the lower limbs is a core feature of hereditary spastic paraplegia.
Spastic paraplegia
Spastic paraparesis, spasticity and weakness of the legs, is among the most prominent features of hereditary spastic paraplegia.
Spastic gait
A spastic gait, walking made stiff and effortful by leg spasticity, has been described in a person with hereditary spastic paraplegia.
Treatment and management
What the research describes, not a recommendation. Treatment decisions belong with your clinician.
This covers treatments that appear in the published research mapped here. Investigational and experimental therapies are not included, so their absence is a boundary of this map, not a sign they do not exist.
botulinum toxin
Botulinum toxin injections are used to reduce lower-limb spasticity in hereditary spastic paraplegia.
Used to help with: Lower limb spasticity.
“…online spasticity monitoring tool amongst people with hereditary spastic paraplegia or chronic stroke receiving botulinum toxin…”
How to read the evidence labels
Where this comes from
This guide is built from 7 published source(s). Every claim above links back to one of them. Click any source ID to read the original on PubMed.
Take it further
Printed, source-linked documents built from this condition's graph — ready to bring to an appointment or attach to a coverage request. Every claim carries its published source, the same as this guide.