Medical Health Encyclopedia

Spasticity

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Y

Central nervous system

Overview Treatment

Spasticity

Definition:

Spasticity is marked by stiff or rigid muscles and exaggerated, deep tendon reflexes. The condition can interfere with walking, movement, or speech.

See also muscle spasticity.

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Considerations:

Spasticity generally results from damage to the motor area of the brain (the portion of the cerebral cortex that controls voluntary movement) and to any portion of the subcortical white matter (nerves traveling from brain down to spinal cord).

When control of the muscles from the central nervous system is damaged, muscle feedback pathways from the spinal cord produce symptoms such as exaggerated deep tendon reflexes (the knee-jerk reflex), scissoring (crossing of the legs as the tips of scissors would close), repetitive jerky motions (clonus), unusual posturing, and carrying the shoulder, arm, wrist, and finger at an abnormal angle.

Spasticity may also interfere with speech. Severe, long term spasticity may lead to contracture of muscles causing joints to be bent at a fixed position.

Common Causes:

• Cerebral palsy
• Brain damage caused by lack of oxygen, as can occur in near drowning or near suffocation
• Brain trauma
• Severe head injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Stroke
• Some metabolic diseases
• Adrenoleukodystrophy
• Phenylketonuria
• Neurodegenerative illness
• Multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases

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