National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis



Other Names:
IAHSP; Spastic paralysis, infantile onset ascending
Categories:

Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis (IAHSP) is a neurological disorder characterized by progressive (worsening) weakness and stiffness of muscles in the arms, legs, and face. Initial symptoms usually occur within the first 2 years of life and include weakness of the legs, leg muscles that are abnormally tight and stiff, and eventual paralysis of the legs. Over time, muscle weakness and stiffness travels up (ascends) the body from the legs to the head. IAHSP is caused by mutations in the ALS2 gene and is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern.[1][2] Although there is no specific treatment or cure, there may be ways to manage the symptoms, including physical and occupational therapy.[2] A team of doctors is often needed to figure out the treatment options for each person.
Last updated: 12/8/2016

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Abnormal pyramidal sign 0007256
Anarthria
Loss of articulate speech
0002425
Dysarthria
Difficulty articulating speech
0001260
Hyperreflexia
Increased reflexes
0001347
Impaired mastication
Chewing difficulties
Chewing difficulty
Difficulty chewing
[ more ]
0005216
Spastic paraplegia 0001258
Spastic tetraplegia 0002510
Tetraplegia
Paralysis of all four limbs
0002445
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Abnormality of eye movement
Abnormal eye movement
Abnormal eye movements
Eye movement abnormalities
Eye movement issue
[ more ]
0000496
Pseudobulbar behavioral symptoms 0002193
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Abnormal lower motor neuron morphology 0002366
Abnormality of the eye
Abnormal eye
0000478
Achilles tendon contracture
Shortening of the achilles tendon
Tight achilles tendon
[ more ]
0001771
Autosomal recessive inheritance 0000007
Babinski sign 0003487
Dysphagia
Poor swallowing
Swallowing difficulties
Swallowing difficulty
[ more ]
0002015
Infantile onset
Onset in first year of life
Onset in infancy
[ more ]
0003593
Morphological abnormality of the corticospinal tract 0002492
Motor delay 0001270
Muscle weakness
Muscular weakness
0001324
Pes cavus
High-arched foot
0001761
Progressive
Worsens with time
0003676
Scoliosis 0002650
Slow progression
Signs and symptoms worsen slowly with time
0003677
Slow saccadic eye movements
Slow eye movements
0000514
Urinary incontinence
Loss of bladder control
0000020
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Last updated: 7/1/2020

Making a diagnosis for a genetic or rare disease can often be challenging. Healthcare professionals typically look at a person’s medical history, symptoms, physical exam, and laboratory test results in order to make a diagnosis. The following resources provide information relating to diagnosis and testing for this condition. If you have questions about getting a diagnosis, you should contact a healthcare professional.

Testing Resources

  • The Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) provides information about the genetic tests for this condition. The intended audience for the GTR is health care providers and researchers. Patients and consumers with specific questions about a genetic test should contact a health care provider or a genetics professional.

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources


Related diseases are conditions that have similar signs and symptoms. A health care provider may consider these conditions in the table below when making a diagnosis. Please note that the table may not include all the possible conditions related to this disease.

Conditions with similar signs and symptoms from Orphanet
Differential diagnoses include the allelic disorders juvenile primary lateral sclerosis and juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (see these terms).
Visit the Orphanet disease page for more information.

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease


These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains information on Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis. This website is maintained by the National Library of Medicine.

In-Depth Information

  • GeneReviews provides current, expert-authored, peer-reviewed, full-text articles describing the application of genetic testing to the diagnosis, management, and genetic counseling of patients with specific inherited conditions.
  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.


  1. Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis. Genetics Home Reference Website. April 2016; https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/infantile-onset-ascending-hereditary-spastic-paralysis. Accessed 12/8/2016.
  2. Pr Enrico BERTINI. Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis. Orphanet. February 2014; http://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/OC_Exp.php?lng=EN&Expert=293168. Accessed 12/8/2016.