Sensorimotor disorder
 

What does this actually mean? Is anyone able to explain in plain English for me please? This term was used to refer to my gastroparesis and chronic Intestinal dysmotility. If it helps to give context; I was also told that my GI problems are due to autononic neuropathy. I've now been told that a have potential neurological syndrome that was also describe during as being a sensorimotor disorder.

Thank you in advance.

All that term really means--
 

--is that you have a condition that affects your nervous system on some level, with both sensory and motor components.

Generally, in neurology, the convention has been that the more severely impacted system is listed first. So, by labeling it a "sensorimotor" disorder the implication is that your sensory systems are affected to a grater extent than your motor nerves, but both are involved.

It's really not a very explanatory term--it says nothing about cause or severity.

If you search this word, you will find many (a majority) of sites
that use it psychologically or as a psychiatric diagnosis.

It is a pretty old term, and I suspect it has an insurance code attached so that you and your doctor can get coverage for your visit. So may be used just for that purpose of convenience.

Motor neurons are basically myelinated (have an insulated axon) and as such are fast conducting nerves to muscles.

Sensory neurons are of 4 types, only one is heavily myelinated, and attached to tendons and providing proprioceptive information and fast conducting (telling the brain where you are in space). One sensory C fiber is totally unmyelinated and very slow conducting.
This graph shows the 4 types of sensory neurons outside the brain that provide information from the environment, and how they differ in myelination and speed of conductance:
Neuroscience For Kids - conduction velocity

Another graphic showing nerve cells and explanations:
Neuroscience For Kids - cells of the nervous system

As such the term you are asking about is just descriptive and not a diagnosis as such.

Thanks for the reply. I agree, it doesn't say much.

Thank you for your reply. I'm in the UK, so no need for codes. Both doctors (gastroenterologist and neurologist) used the words 'sensorimotor' but didn't put it at the top of their letters as part of a diagnosis. I didn't feel like either doctor was referring to it as psychiatric or psychological. They both are clear that I have abnormal autonomic function tests which confirm a physiological condition.

So it just might be a cultural thing. In US the terms usually used are "autonomic" or dysautomnia.

Sensory and motor nerve combinations involve many types of nerves, and as such are more serious. For an agent to attack the nerves this globally, one could look at toxins, drugs, or viruses.
Autoimmune factors which are antibodies the host makes in the bone marrow, are often causes of neuropathies where they attack the host instead of an invader. But these usually are specific to myelin. Many drugs (antibiotics and chemo drugs) attack DNA in cells, and as they do this nerves can be one of the many cell types involved.

Thanks for your informative reply. Dysnautomnia isn't a term used in the UK but I have been formally diagnosed with autonomic neuropathy, although they do also call it autonomic dysfunction.

Last week, I was told I likely have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome as the cause of these problems. I'm awaiting a formal diagnosis and genetics appointment.

Hi Starburst

I know somebody who lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

This UK-based site might help you in talking with your doctors Ehlers-Danlos syndrome - NHS Choices.

Thank you very much. :) I'm lucky that I'm seeing a specialist who has done a lot of research in this area and he's the top doc. I've got another 2 month wait but I know it'll be worth it. My autonomic specialist told me that he has no doubt this is the cause of my issues but I'll need the formal diagnosis to access all the important treatment such as; specialist physio.