looking for clarification on spasticity

[juliesmile]

Just wondering what spasticity is and if it's seen in ALS patients. It's not in your directory of med. terms, but I've run across it in my research.

[olly]

Spasticity is a state of excessive muscle tone manifested by increased resistance to stretching and heightened reflexes. Also known as muscle hypertonicity, it’s commonly detected by evaluating a muscle’s response to passive movement; a spastic muscle offers more resistance when the passive movement is performed quickly. Caused by an upper-motor-neuron lesion, spasticity usually occurs in the arm and leg muscles. Long-term spasticity results in muscle fibrosis and contractures.
hope that helps:-D

[juliesmile]

Thanks Olly, would Brisk reflexes be considered spasticity, and early on he use to jerk in bed at night. Like when you feel like you are falling and you just jerk, he does that at night, but to the point that I need to leave the bed. I read spasticity can manifest itself in involuntary movements, and brisk reflexes, and I was just wondering if these symptoms fall into that category.

[olly]

i would say brisk reflexes and spacticity are related , clonus is a involintary twitch/movement of a limb ,allso theres focal reflex clonus ie----ancle/knee/elbow were the point below the joint can twitch/move. and finally what you are describing in bed sounds like myoclonus were one part/one side/whole body can twitch/move/jump.
this is all umn signs and i have all three that come and go. i thought i had epilepsey lol,but my neuro reasured me it was'nt. i hope this helps a little.
best wishes
caroline:-D

[juliesmile]

olly,
Are you still in the process of being diagnosed?

[olly]

yes, iv'e had umn signs /symptoms for 8yrs, but 18mths ago they found i'd developed lmn(i suspect they had been there longer) so neuro dx mnd but not a definate dx of pls/als. i go to mnd clinic on 20th march and will soon have emg,so hopefully find out for sure soon.but past year iv'e got progressivly weaker and past 4mths problems with eating/wieght loss so i'm not looking forward to the news.

[juliesmile]

Olly,

That's intense. I'm sorry you are struggling so much lately. The best of luck to you at Dr. appt. on the 20th. There really are not words here that seem appropriate.
We go on the 10th for our 2nd opinion. Actually the previous Neurologist had no idea what it was, so it's not technically a 2nd opinion is it? Anyway, another set of EMG's and results of the Athena blood work. Hoping for an autoimmune disease.