In this Article

• What is Guillain-Barré syndrome?
• What causes Guillain-Barré syndrome?
• What are symptoms of Guillain-Barré syndrome?
• How is Guillain-Barré syndrome diagnosed?
• How is Guillain-Barré syndrome treated?
• What is the long-term outlook for those with Guillain-Barré syndrome?
• What research is being done on Guillain-Barré syndrome?
• Where can I get more information about Guillain-Barré syndrome?
• Guillain-Barre Syndrome Glossary
• Guillain-Barre Syndrome Index
• Find a local Neurologist in your town

What are symptoms of Guillain-Barré syndrome?

Symptoms of Guillain-Barré Syndrome include weakness, typically beginning in the legs and progressing upward. The weakness is accompanied by decreased feeling (paresthesia). Reflexes are lost, for example, the hammer to the front of the knee will not induce a kick. In severe cases breathing can be affected enough to require a ventilator and rarely the heart can be affected. The maximal degree of weakness usually occurs within the first 2-3 weeks.

After the first clinical manifestations of the disease, the symptoms can progress over the course of hours, days, or weeks.

How is Guillain-Barré syndrome diagnosed?

Guillain-Barré is called a syndrome rather than a disease because it is not clear that a specific disease-causing agent is involved. A syndrome is a medical condition characterized by a collection of symptoms (what the patient feels) and signs (what a doctor can observe or measure). The signs and symptoms of the syndrome can be quite varied, so doctors may, on rare occasions, find it difficult to diagnose Guillain-Barré in its earliest stages.

Several disorders have symptoms similar to those found in Guillain-Barré, so doctors examine and question patients carefully before making a diagnosis. Collectively, the signs and symptoms form a certain pattern that helps doctors differentiate Guillain-Barré from other disorders. For example, physicians will note whether the symptoms appear on both sides of the body (most common in Guillain-Barré) and the quickness with which the symptoms appear (in other disorders, muscle weakness may progress over months rather than days or weeks). In Guillain-Barré, reflexes such as knee jerks are usually lost. Because the signals traveling along the nerve are slower, a nerve conduction velocity (NCV) test can give a doctor clues to aid the diagnosis. In Guillain-Barré patients, the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the spinal cord and brain contains more protein than usual. Therefore a physician may decide to perform a spinal tap, a procedure in which the doctor inserts a needle into the patient's lower back to draw cerebrospinal fluid from the spinal column.