Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, atypical parkinsonian syndromes, and multiple sclerosis are progressive neurologic disorders that cumulatively afflict a large number of people. Effective end-of-life palliative care depends upon an understanding of the clinical aspects of each of these disorders.
Objectives: The authors review the unique and overlapping aspects of each of these disorders with an emphasis upon the clinical management of symptoms.
Design: The authors review current management and the supporting literature.
Conclusions: Clinicians have many effective therapeutic options to choose from when managing the symptoms produced by these disorders.