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Related Concept Videos

Restless Leg Syndrome and Night Terrors01:27

Restless Leg Syndrome and Night Terrors

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Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, is a neurological disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to move the legs due to uncomfortable sensations. These sensations typically occur during periods of rest or inactivity, particularly when lying down or sitting, and can severely disrupt sleep.
The exact cause of RLS is not fully understood, but it is believed to involve dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate muscle movement. Imbalances in dopamine levels...
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Classification of Skeletal Muscle Relaxants01:28

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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...
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Muscle Stimulation Frequency01:22

Muscle Stimulation Frequency

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The contraction strength of muscles is regulated by motor neurons, which modulate the frequency of action potentials dispatched to the motor units based on the body's requirements. This process of varying the muscle stimulation frequency allows muscles to contract with a force that is precisely tailored to the needs of the moment, whether lifting a feather or a heavy box.
Wave summation
At low firing rates, motor neurons induce individual twitch contractions in muscle fibers. These twitches...
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Spasmolytic Agents: Chemical Classification01:29

Spasmolytic Agents: Chemical Classification

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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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Peripherally and Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants: A Comparison01:09

Peripherally and Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants: A Comparison

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Skeletal muscle relaxants can target the central nervous system [CNS] to reduce muscle tension or act directly at the neuromuscular junction to induce temporary paralysis. These two classes of muscle relaxants are called centrally acting muscle relaxants and peripherally acting muscle relaxants. They differ in their action, mechanism, administration route, and clinical uses.
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Motor Unit Stimulation01:20

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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 17, 2026

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

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Spasticity or periodic limb movements?

Jonathan Levy1,2, Sarah Hartley3, Elsa Mauruc-Soubirac4

  • 1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Raymond Poincaré University Hospital, Assistance Publique, Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Garches, France - levyjonathan2@gmail.com.

European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine
|December 6, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Persistent spasms in spinal cord injury (SCI) and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients may be periodic limb movements (PLM), not spasticity. Dopaminergic agonists effectively treat PLM in these populations.

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Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI
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Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI
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Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

  • Spasticity and spasms are common, disabling symptoms in upper motor neuron syndrome (UMNS) following spinal cord injury (SCI) and multiple sclerosis (MS).
  • Despite various treatments, some patients experience persistent spasms, posing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.
  • Distinguishing flexor spasms from periodic limb movements (PLM) associated with restless leg syndrome (RLS) is crucial, especially during sleep.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of RLS with PLM in patients with SCI and MS experiencing uncontrolled spasms.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of dopaminergic agonists in treating PLM in this patient cohort.

Main Methods:

  • An observational prospective study was conducted at a spasticity clinic.
  • Patients with MS or SCI referred for persistent spasms underwent nocturnal polysomnography (PSG) to assess for RLS and PLM.
  • Confirmed PLM cases were treated with pramipexole, followed by a repeat PSG to assess treatment efficacy.

Main Results:

  • All 45 included patients met RLS criteria, with 39 confirmed to have PLM (median index 45.9/hour).
  • PLM were associated with a median of 5.1 arousals per hour.
  • Treatment with pramipexole significantly improved PLM index and reduced arousals (P=0.0007 and P=0.01, respectively).

Conclusions:

  • Persistent spasms in SCI and MS patients, refractory to antispastic drugs, may actually be PLM.
  • Dopaminergic agonists demonstrate efficacy in treating PLM in patients with SCI and MS.
  • Nocturnal PSG should be considered in the diagnostic workup for unexplained nocturnal or supine spasms to identify treatable PLM.