Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Utilizing Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Study the Human Neuromuscular System
Published on: January 20, 2012
Absence of tonic electromyographic activity during sleep in normal and spastic nonmimetic skeletal muscles in man
Abstract:
An electromyographic study of nonmimetic skeletal muscles was carried out in 8 normal adults and 4 patients with spastic hemiparesis during all stages of sleep for a total of 21 nights. All normal subjects showed absence of tonic electromyographic activity in all nonmimetic skeletal muscles in all stages of sleep. Also, during quiet, relaxed wakefulness, tonic muscle discharges disappeared in the normal subjects. Three patients with upper motor neuron spasticity demonstrated results during sleep similar to those obtained in the normal subjects. In the fourth patient, tonic muscle discharges persisted into stage 2 non-REM sleep, disappeared within 30 to 240 seconds following the onset of stage 2 sleep, and were absent during stages 3 and 4 sleep and REM sleep.
Related Concept Videos
Myasthenia Gravis: Diagnostic Tests
The edrophonium test is a diagnostic tool for myasthenia gravis. It involves...
Classification of Skeletal Muscle Relaxants
Peripherally acting skeletal muscle relaxants interfere with the neurotransmission at the neuromuscular end plate to induce paralysis during...
Relaxation of Skeletal Muscles
When an action potential reaches the axon terminal, it depolarizes the membrane and opens voltage-gated sodium channels. Sodium ions enter the cell, further depolarizing the presynaptic membrane. This depolarization causes voltage-gated calcium channels to open.
Disorders of the Skeletal Muscle
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 lll

