Which pattern of weakness is characteristic of Guillain-Barré Syndrome?

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Guillain-Barré syndrome classically presents with an ascending, symmetric pattern of weakness that starts in the legs and climbs upward to involve proximal muscles and sometimes the face. This progression reflects an autoimmune attack on the myelin of peripheral nerves (demyelination), which slows nerve conduction and leads to progressively weaker muscles. Sensory symptoms and areflexia are common, and respiratory muscles can be affected as the weakness ascends. This peripheral, ascending demyelinating process distinguishes it from conditions with descending weakness (such as disorders affecting the neuromuscular junction or brainstem), focal weakness from a localized lesion, or memory loss with rapid progression that points to central nervous system pathology.