neuromuscular blockade

blockade /block·ade/ (blok-ād´)

1. the blocking of the effect of a hormone or neurotransmitter at a cell-surface receptor by a pharmacologic antagonist bound to the receptor.

2. in histochemistry, a chemical reaction that modifies certain chemical groups and blocks a specific staining method.

3. regional anesthesia.

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adrenergic blockade  selective inhibition of the response to sympathetic impulses transmitted by epinephrine or norepinephrine at alpha or beta receptor sites of an effector organ or postganglionic adrenergic neuron.

cholinergic blockade  selective inhibition of cholinergic nerve impulses at autonomic ganglionic synapses, postganglionic parasympathetic effectors, or the neuromuscular junction.

ganglionic blockade  inhibition by drugs of nerve impulse transmission at autonomic ganglionic synapses.

narcotic blockade  inhibition of the euphoric effects of narcotic drugs by the use of other drugs, such as methadone, in the treatment of addiction.

neuromuscular blockade  a failure in neuromuscular transmission that can be induced pharmacologically or may result from pathological disturbances at the myoneural junction.

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neuromuscular blockade,

the inhibition of a muscular contraction activated by the nervous system, possibly resulting in muscle weakness or paralysis.

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neuromuscular

pertaining to nerve terminations in muscles.

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neuromuscular blockade

deliberate paralysis of the motor end-plates; important in veterinary surgery for immobilization. It is effected by the use of competitive (non-depolarizing) agents such as d-tubocurarine, and depolarizing agents such as succinylcholine.

neuromuscular blocking agents

drugs capable of producing neuromuscular blockade (above).

neuromuscular junction

the point of junction of a nerve fiber with the muscle that it innervates. It includes an area of folded sarcolemma of the muscle fiber, and an axon terminal located in the folds and containing vesicles of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Called also myoneural junction.

neuromuscular junction disease

examples are tick paralysis, botulism, myasthenia gravis.

neuromuscular paralysis

paralysis caused by malfunction at the neuromuscular junction, e.g. after administration of a neuromuscular blocking agent. The paralysis may be flaccid or spastic.

phase-II neuromuscular block

alteration of the end-plate threshold to depolarization by acetylcholine following prolonged use of a depolarization agent such as succinylcholine.

neuromuscular spindle

consists of muscle fiber, afferent and efferent nerve endings and connective tissue; maintains muscle tone via stretch reflex mediated through two neurons at spinal cord level.

neuromuscular transmission

release of acetylcholine from the nerve ending and activation of the receptors in the muscle end-plate.

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neuromuscular blockade

Neurology The partial or complete inhibition of motor activity at a neuromuscular junction Etiology 1. Reduction of post-synaptic receptors–eg, myasthenia gravis; 2. Defective acetylcholine release from storage vesicles–eg, botulism, myasthenia, or Eaton-Lambert syndrome; 3. Competition for binding sites, either pharmacologic blockade–eg, neostigmine, edrophonium, or toxins–eg, organophosphate insecticides. See Neuromuscular junction.