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AAEM minimonograph #46: neurogenic muscle hypertrophy
1Department of Neurology, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center of West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA.
Muscle & Nerve
|July 1, 1996
Summary
Muscle hypertrophy can occur in neurogenic disorders due to continuous electrical stimulation or mechanical factors. Pathogenesis varies, involving myofiber stimulation, genetic, and mechanical influences.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Muscle Physiology
Background:
- Muscle hypertrophy is an uncommon finding in various neurogenic disorders.
- Conditions include neuropathies, radiculopathies, spinal muscular atrophy, and post-polio syndrome.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the varied pathogenesis of muscle hypertrophy in neurogenic conditions.
- To differentiate between true myofiber hypertrophy and pseudohypertrophy.
Main Methods:
- Review of clinical presentations and electrophysiological findings in neurogenic disorders associated with muscle hypertrophy.
- Analysis of potential contributing factors such as electrical activity and mechanical stress.
Main Results:
- In Isaacs' syndrome, hypertrophy is linked to continuous myofiber electrical stimulation, sometimes causing type 1 fiber preponderance.
- Complex repetitive discharges (CRDs) are associated with focal hypertrophy in radiculopathies/mononeuropathies.
- Muscle enlargement in post-polio syndrome involves significant pseudohypertrophy with some true hypertrophy.
- Genetic disorders may involve genetic, mechanical, and pseudohypertrophic components.
Conclusions:
- Muscle hypertrophy in neurogenic disorders has diverse etiologies, including electrical stimulation, mechanical factors, and genetic predispositions.
- Distinguishing true hypertrophy from pseudohypertrophy is crucial for understanding the underlying pathology.