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Related Concept Videos

Classification of Skeletal Muscle Relaxants01:28

Classification of Skeletal Muscle Relaxants

Skeletal muscle relaxants are a group of drugs that can reduce muscle stiffness and induce temporary paralysis to relieve pain. These agents can act centrally to reduce muscle tone or spasms in painful conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or spinal injuries; they are called antispasmodics or spasmolytics.
Peripherally acting skeletal muscle relaxants interfere with the neurotransmission at the neuromuscular end plate to induce paralysis during...
Alterations in Muscle Tone ll01:12

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...
Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses01:24

Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses

Centrally acting muscle relaxants reduce muscle tone and tension by interfering with the postsynaptic reflexes in the central nervous system.
Centrally acting drugs are classified into spasmolytic and antispasmodic drugs. Spasmolytic drugs such as baclofen, diazepam, and tizanidine inhibit spinal motor neurons and decrease muscle tone. Spasmolytic drugs are administered for severe and chronic spasms due to multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, and spinal cord and muscle injuries. However,...
Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses01:31

Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses

Skeletal muscle relaxants are used to relax muscle tone and alleviate painful muscle contractions. However, the choice of skeletal muscle relaxants depends on the duration of the surgical procedure in order to minimize potential side effects. Skeletal muscle relaxants like neuromuscular blocking agents [NMBAs] are commonly employed as adjuvants alongside general anesthetics in clinical settings. NMBAs are also used to maintain controlled ventilation during surgery of the larynx or pharynx as...
Spasmolytic Agents: Chemical Classification01:29

Spasmolytic Agents: Chemical Classification

Spasmolytic agents are drugs used to alleviate muscle spasms and spasticity. They can be categorized into different chemical groups based on their mechanisms of action. Centrally acting spasmolytics primarily affect the spinal cord, while others directly target skeletal muscle cells.
A major class of centrally acting spasmolytics is the α2-agonist, such as tizanidine. These drugs bind to α2-adrenoceptors, inhibiting the release of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. They also promote...
Alterations in Muscle Tone lll01:11

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...

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Related Experiment Video

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Repeated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Action Observation Training in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy
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Stretching the limbs? Tonic spasms in multiple sclerosis.

Carlos Andrade1, João Massano, Joana Guimarães

  • 1Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.

BMJ Case Reports
|December 5, 2012
PubMed
Summary

This study details a case of a young man experiencing painful, involuntary movements diagnosed as tonic spasms. These spasms, initially unresponsive to steroids, resolved with valproate, highlighting a unique presentation in multiple sclerosis.

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Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Neuroimmunology

Background:

  • A 23-year-old male presented with a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) characterized by right optic neuritis.
  • Six months later, he developed recurrent, brief, painful, involuntary posturing movements of the left upper limb, suggestive of paroxysmal dyskinesias or epileptic seizures.

Observation:

  • Neurological examination revealed right optic atrophy but was otherwise unremarkable.
  • Initial treatment with intravenous methylprednisolone did not resolve the paroxysmal movements.
  • The spasms worsened, affecting the left lower limb and hemiface, with no epileptiform activity noted on video-electroencephalography (video-EEG).

Findings:

  • Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated new lesions in the right pyramidal tract, contralateral to the affected limbs.
  • Prescription of valproate led to complete resolution of the tonic spasms within 5 days.

Implications:

  • Tonic spasms, though infrequent, are a recognized symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS).
  • This case underscores the importance of considering MS in the differential diagnosis of paroxysmal movement disorders.
  • The findings suggest that specific lesion locations and potentially the underlying neuroinflammatory process in MS can manifest as these characteristic spasms.