Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0026838 (spasticity)
 6,471 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In ten spastic patients and in an equal number of healthy controls, the relaxation phase occurring at the end of an isotonic voluntary contraction has been studied on soleus muscle using EMG and H-reflex methods. In the spastic group, the duration of motor unit-decruitment was consistently prolonged (from two to six times the control values). Moreover, the decrease in the excitability of the H-reflex arc, which normally accompanies the end of muscle contraction was delayed in time, reduced in amplitude or in some cases even absent. As a rule, patients in whom such release-associated inhibition (RAI) was lacking or severely reduced exhibited the longest motor unit-decruitment times, due to the interference of sustained clonic sequences. It is proposed that a lowered effectiveness of RAI might explain the clonic activity which frequently hinders voluntary muscle relaxation in spasticity.
Ital J Neurol Sci 1985 Dec
PMID:Hindered muscle relaxation in spasticity: experimental evidence suggesting a possible pathophysiological mechanism. 408 68

A 12-year-old girl with Rett's syndrome is presented. This syndrome, exclusively reported in girls, is characterized by a normal psychomotor development up to the age of 6 to 18 months, followed by developmental stagnation and then rapid progressive dementia, loss of purposeful use of the hands replaced by stereotypic hand movements, truncal ataxia, spasticity, seizures and microcephaly. The syndrome is not rare; prevalence has been reported as 0.65/10 000 girls.
Tijdschr Kindergeneeskd 1985 Dec
PMID:[The Rett syndrome]. 409 98

Activity in three segmental pathways was compared in normal subjects, patients with spinal shock, and patients with established spinal spasticity. The Achilles tendon reflex (ATR) was used to estimate transmission in the Ia monosynaptic pathway. Evidence is produced implying that vibration activates motoneurones principally through a polysynaptic pathway. The tonic vibration reflex (TVR) was used to estimate transmission in this Ia polysynaptic pathway. The percentage of the motoneurone pool (M-response) that could be activated by these pathways was used as a measure of transmission. The H reflex (vibration)/H reflex (control) ratio was used as an estimate of the degree of presynaptic inhibition of the Ia monosynaptic pathway. The findings led to the following conclusions. (1) In spinal shock presynaptic inhibition is greater than normal, transmission in the Ia monosynaptic pathway is reduced, and in the Ia polysynaptic pathway virtually abolished. (2) In established spasticity presynaptic inhibition is impaired, transmission in the Ia monosynaptic pathway is increased, but transmission in the Ia polysynaptic pathway never recovers. (3) The failure of presynaptic inhibition associated with spasticity is a gradual process. A hypothesis to explain these findings is proposed.
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1974 Dec
PMID:Segmental reflex pathways in spinal shock and spinal spasticity in man. 437 72

The purpose of this paper is to outline a systematic approach to the care of adult patients with traumatic head injury. The orthopedic management of these individuals is divided in three phases. In the acute period after the initial trauma, musculoskeletal injuries should be diagnosed and treated. Delayed diagnoses of fractures and peripheral nerve injuries are common. Fracture care often differs from the care given to patients without head injuries because open reduction and internal fixation are more frequently indicated. The results of fracture treatment are compromised by spasticity and heterotopic ossification. The second phase is the subacute period during which neurologic recovery is occurring. This period may last up to 18 months. While neurologic recovery is proceeding, heterotopic ossification and spasticity with its resulting deformities are treated. Drugs, casting, and phenol blocks of peripheral nerves and motor points are used in the control of spasticity. Drugs and aggressive range-of-motion exercises aid in maintenance of joint motion when heterotopic ossification is present. When neurologic recovery has stabilized, the third phase begins. At this time, residual limb deformities may be surgically corrected and heterotopic bone may be excised.
Phys Ther 1983 Dec
PMID:Orthopedic strategies in the management of the adult head-injured patient. 641 85

A 12-year-old boy presented with enuresis, leg weakness, and lower extremity spasticity. An initial lumbar water-soluble contrast myelogram disclosed an arachnoid diverticulum. After the insertion of a cystopleural shunt, the patient improved and was dry. However, 2 months later the patient became enuretic and developed weakness. Repeat myelography showed a second arachnoid diverticulum located in the midthoracic region. This second diverticulum was treated by marsupialization of the cyst wall to the subfascial space. The authors stress the need for complete myelography in patients with intradural spinal arachnoid diverticuli and present a brief review of the literature.
Neurosurgery 1984 Dec
PMID:Multiple intradural arachnoid diverticuli: the need for complete myelography. 644 48

Recent research has shown that electrical stimulation is effective in treatment programs designed to maintain or gain range of motion, to facilitate voluntary motor control, and to strengthen muscles weakened by disuse. All of these treatment goals are relevant to the head-injured patient who frequently demonstrates profound disuse atrophy, joint contractures with excessive muscle tone, and decreased voluntary motor capabilities. As the cognitive status of the head-injured patient improves, electrical stimulation can be incorporated into traditional treatment programs to enhance their effectiveness. This article discusses using neuromuscular electrical stimulation with programs aimed at managing contractures, reducing spasticity, and facilitating voluntary motion. The limitations of electrical stimulation in the head-injured patient population are addressed.
Phys Ther 1983 Dec
PMID:Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for the head-injured patient. 660 82

Soft tissue contractures resulting from spasticity are a frequent sequella of traumatic head injuries. This article identifies rationale for the use of serial casting to manage these deformities, provides guidelines for cast fabrication and application, and reports the results of lower extremity casting on 42 head-injured adults at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital.
Phys Ther 1983 Dec
PMID:Serial casting for the management of spasticity in the head-injured adult. 664 51

The most important factors for the formation of pressure sores are sufficient pressure for an adequate period of time. Many investigators have shown that psycho-social factors are also associated with pressure sores. We investigated other factors that may relate to higher incidence and more extensive pressure sores. Seventeen paraplegics and 21 quadriplegics were clinically examined regarding the degree of spasticity and the size of their pressure sores were measured. They were interviewed for cigarette smoking habit, the presence of help in skin care and their employment or educational activities. Body weight was obtained and the types of wheelchair cushion used were inspected. The result shows that patients with more pack-years of smoking habit had higher incidence and more extensive pressure sores. Other variables such as level of spinal cord injury, completeness of neurological lesion, the availability of help in skin care, the presence of employment or educational activities, spasticity, and body weight were not associated with pressure sores. The types of wheelchair cushion used by our patients did not correlate to the incidence of pressure sores. In addition, cigarette smoking did not decrease spasticity in our patients.
Am J Phys Med 1983 Dec
PMID:Smoking, spasticity and pressure sores in spinal cord injured patients. 665 Jun 75

Autonomic hyperreflexia occurs in spinal cord injured patients. The mechanism involves spasticity of the autonomic nervous system. Somatic stimuli have been infrequently reported as triggering stimuli for autonomic hyperreflexia. This article reports on a patient who experienced autonomic hyperreflexia brought on by dressing changes of pressure ulcers. Also included is a discussion of current treatment modalities with special regard for clonidine, the drug used in the case report.
J Trauma 1983 Dec
PMID:Autonomic hyperreflexia in spinal cord injured patients: trigger mechanism--dressing changes of pressure sores. 665 56

The effect of a chronic spinal cord hemisection on segmental reflex transmission was studied in cats. Recordings of ventral root responses were made after a terminal transection below the initial lesion to eliminate descending influence through the intact spinal half. Procedures to ensure comparability between sides, that are lacking in earlier work on this experimental model, were introduced in the present work. It was demonstrated that there was an increase in reflex size on the lesioned (left) side, relative to the other side, of both mono- and polysynaptic reflexes. The reflex changes were found at all survival times studied (from 2 to 515 days). In control animals mono- and polysynaptic reflexes were found to be larger on the right side. It is discussed that side symmetry of reflex size is not to be presupposed even in a normal population. Detailed clinical examinations of lesioned animals were not performed, but a tendency for enhancement of the ipsilateral knee-jerk was found. There was no syndrome of spasticity and general motor recovery was very good.
Acta Physiol Scand 1983 Dec
PMID:Changes in segmental reflexes following chronic spinal cord hemisection in the cat. I. Increased monosynaptic and polysynaptic ventral root discharges. 666 22


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