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Related Concept Videos

Somatic Spinal Reflexes01:22

Somatic Spinal Reflexes

Somatic spinal reflexes are rapid, involuntary muscular responses to external stimuli that involve the somatic musculature and the spinal cord.
One of the most well-known somatic spinal reflexes is the stretch reflex, which is activated by the sudden stretching of a muscle. This reflex involves the activation of specialized sensory receptors called muscle spindles, which are located in the muscle tissue and detect changes in the length and speed of muscle contractions. When a muscle is suddenly...
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.
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Classification of Skeletal Muscle Relaxants01:28

Classification of Skeletal Muscle Relaxants

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Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

Behavioral Characterization of Pentylenetetrazole-induced Seizures: Moving Beyond the Racine Scale
07:35

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Published on: July 8, 2025

Infantile spasms.

Richard A Hrachovy1, James D Frost

  • 1Peter Kellaway Section of Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA.

Handbook of Clinical Neurology
|April 30, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Infantile spasms, a disorder in infants, present with specific seizure types and EEG patterns. Current treatments aim to stop spasms quickly, but long-term outcomes remain unclear.

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Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatrics
  • Epileptology

Background:

  • Infantile spasms (IS) are a distinct epilepsy syndrome affecting infants and young children.
  • Onset typically occurs around 6 months, with an incidence of 0.31 per 1000 live births.
  • Spasms present in flexor, extensor, or mixed forms, often in clusters upon waking.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To summarize the key characteristics of infantile spasms.
  • To outline diagnostic findings, including EEG patterns.
  • To discuss current treatment objectives and the uncertainty surrounding long-term outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on infantile spasms.
  • Analysis of clinical presentation, including age of onset and incidence.
  • Description of electroencephalogram (EEG) findings (interictal and ictal).

Main Results:

  • Infantile spasms have an average onset at 6 months.
  • Hypsarrhythmia or variants are typical interictal EEG findings.
  • No conclusive evidence shows treatments significantly alter long-term outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • The pathophysiological basis of infantile spasms is not fully understood.
  • Animal models are being developed to study IS mechanisms.
  • Further research is needed to clarify the long-term impact of infantile spasms and their treatments.