Central cord symptoms such as hand weakness, dissociated sensory loss, and, in severe cases, paralysis may occur.

Dissociated sensory loss always suggests a focal lesion within the spinal cord or brainstem.

Other causes of dissociated sensory loss include:

Dissociated sensory loss is a pattern of neurological damage caused by a lesion to a single tract in the spinal cord which involves selective loss of fine touch and proprioception without loss of pain and temperature, or vice-versa.