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Alterations in Muscle Tone lll

Alterations in Muscle Tone lll

Rigidity and myotonia are distinct abnormalities of muscle tone that affect resistance and relaxation during movement. Although both involve altered muscle contraction, they arise from different neurological and muscular mechanisms.CharacteristicsRigidity is characterized by uniform resistance to passive movement across the entire range, independent of speed, affecting flexors and extensors equally. It may appear as lead-pipe rigidity (smooth, constant resistance) or cogwheel rigidity...

Disorders of the Skeletal Muscle

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The clinical conditions affecting the skeletal muscle tissue are broadly categorized as musculoskeletal and neuromuscular disorders.
Musculoskeletal disorders
Musculoskeletal disorders involve injuries and conditions affecting the skeletal muscles and associated connective tissues. These disorders can arise from acute biomechanical stresses or chronic overuse and can occur across different age groups. Common injuries include sprains, fractures, and muscular strains, often resulting from...

Alterations in Muscle Tone ll

Alterations in Muscle Tone ll

Alterations in muscle tone are common manifestations of neurological disorders and reflect dysfunction within different nervous system regions. Spasticity, paratonia, and dystonia represent distinct forms of hypertonia, each with unique mechanisms, clinical features, and diagnostic importance.CharacteristicsSpasticity happens from upper motor neuron lesions and is characterized by velocity-dependent resistance to passive movement. Clinical features include:Exaggerated deep tendon reflexesClonus...

Motor Unit Stimulation

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When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...

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Skeletal muscle relaxants are widely used for muscle paralysis and relieving pain following any muscle injury or stiffness. However, depending on the drug type, they can have adverse effects that range from mild to severe. Usually, nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockers have minimal side effects. For example, drugs like d-tubocurarine, cisatracurium, and rocuronium cause hypotension, whereas drugs like baclofen, when stopped abruptly, can lead to the recurrence of spastic conditions.
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Wave summation
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Myoclonus.

John N Caviness¹, Daniel D Truong

¹Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, USA.

Handbook of Clinical Neurology

|April 19, 2011

Summary

Myoclonus diagnosis is complex, requiring extensive tests. Treatment varies by type, with sodium valproic acid, clonazepam, and levetiracetam effective for cortical myoclonus.

Area of Science:

Neurology
Clinical Neuroscience

Background:

Myoclonus is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary muscle jerks.
Classifications include physiologic, essential, epileptic, and symptomatic myoclonus.
Animal models like DDT and posthypoxic myoclonus in rats aid research.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a comprehensive overview of myoclonus diagnosis and treatment.
To highlight the complexity of diagnostic evaluations.
To outline therapeutic strategies based on myoclonus classification.

Main Methods:

Review of diagnostic work-up including laboratory tests, neurophysiology, and imaging.
Analysis of treatment options for different myoclonus types.
Inclusion of animal models for understanding pathophysiology.

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Main Results:

Diagnostic evaluation is extensive, encompassing blood tests, genetic analysis, and biopsies.
Animal models demonstrate suppressive effects of 5-Hydrotryptophan, clonazepam, and valproic acid on posthypoxic myoclonus.
Effective treatments for cortical myoclonus include sodium valproic acid, clonazepam, levetiracetam, and piracetam.

Conclusions:

Treatment is highly dependent on the underlying cause of myoclonus.
Empirical treatment for cortical myoclonus is recommended when the diagnosis is unclear.
Various pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions exist for different myoclonus subtypes.