nodding spasm

spasm (spazm)

1. a sudden, violent, involuntary muscular contraction.

2. a sudden transitory constriction of a passage, canal, or orifice.

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bronchial spasm  bronchospasm.

carpopedal spasm  spasm of the hand or foot, or of the thumbs and great toes, seen in tetany.

clonic spasm  a spasm consisting of clonic contractions.

facial spasm  tonic spasm of the muscles supplied by the facial nerve, involving the entire side of the face or confined to a limited area about the eye.

habit spasm  see under tic.

infantile spasms  a syndrome of severe myoclonus appearing in infancy and associated with general cerebral deterioration.

intention spasm  muscular spasm on attempting voluntary movement.

myopathic spasm  spasm accompanying disease of the muscles.

nodding spasm  a nodding motion of the head accompanied by nystagmus, seen in infants and young children.

saltatory spasm  clonic spasm of the muscles of the legs, producing a peculiar jumping or springing motion when standing.

tetanic spasm , tonic spasm tetanus (2).

toxic spasm  spasm caused by a toxin.

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nod·ding spasm (ndng)

n.

1. A falling of the head onto the chest that is most commonly seen in infants and is caused by the loss of tone in the neck muscles, as in epilepsy, or by tonic spasm of anterior neck muscles.

2. A nodding of the head caused by a clonic spasm of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Also called salaam convulsion.

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spasm [spazm]

1. a sudden involuntary contraction of a muscle or group of muscles.

2. a sudden, transitory constriction of a passage, canal, or orifice; spasms usually occur when the nerves supplying muscles are irritated, and are often accompanied by pain. A vasospasm is a rare type that occurs in a blood vessel. Spasms vary from mild twitches to severe convulsions and may be the symptoms of any number of disorders. Usually, they will cease when the cause is corrected, but sometimes the only treatment is to suppress the symptoms, as in epilepsy.

Clonic Spasms. These are spasms in which contraction and relaxation of the muscle alternate; this is the most common type of spasm and usually is not severe. A typical clonic spasm is the hiccup. Hiccups usually occur when the diaphragm is irritated, as by indigestion, although occasionally they may result from a serious condition such as a brain tumor; they generally disappear by themselves or after a drink of water.



Spasms may be repetitive twitching motions, some of which are called tics. Tics often accompany other types of spasm, as in such diseases as cerebral palsy and sydenham's chorea, and may also be seen in neuralgia. In tic douloureux the nerves of the face are involved.

Habit spasms are a type of repetitive twitching movements that seem purposeless or without a cause; they include twitching of the face, blinking of the eyes, and grimacing. The movements are rapid and always repeated in the same way, unlike the spasms associated with chorea. The motions are carried out automatically in response to a stimulus that once may have existed but no longer does.

In a convulsive spasm the entire body is jerked by sudden violent movements that may involve almost all the muscles. These spasms may last from a fraction of a second to several seconds, or even minutes. (See also convulsion.)

Tonic Spasms. If the contraction of a spasm is sustained or continuing, it is called a tonic or tetanic spasm. These are generally severe because they are caused by diseases that affect the central nervous system or brain, such as tetanus, rabies, and cerebral palsy. Severe tonic spasms can be fatal if not treated promptly; continued spasms can bring on exhaustion or asphyxiation. The treatment varies with the cause; if the disease is caused by a microorganism in the system, as in tetanus, antiserum must be administered immediately. Antibiotics are also used to help curb infection. In many cases tranquilizers, sedatives, and narcotics must be administered to help ease the spasms.

bronchial spasm spasmodic contraction of the muscular coat of the smaller divisions of the bronchi, as occurs in asthma; called also bronchospasm.

clonic spasm a spasm consisting of clonic contractions; see also clonus.

infantile s's (infantile massive s's) (jackknife s's) a syndrome of severe myoclonus appearing in the first 18 months of life, and associated with general cerebral deterioration; it is marked by severe flexion spasms of the head, neck, and trunk and extension of the arms and legs. Called also jackknife seizures.

nodding spasm clonic spasm of the sternomastoid muscles, causing a nodding motion of the head.

saltatory spasm clonic spasms of the muscles of the lower limbs, producing a peculiar jumping or springing action.

tetanic spasm (tonic spasm) physiological tetanus.

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spasm

1. a sudden involuntary contraction of a muscle or group of muscles.

2. a sudden but transitory constriction of a passage, canal or orifice. Spasms usually occur when the nerves supplying muscles are irritated, and are commonly accompanied by pain. Occasionally a spasm may occur in a blood vessel, and is then called vasospasm.

Spasms vary from mild twitches to severe seizures and may be the signs of any number of disorders.

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bronchial spasm

bronchospasm; spasmodic contraction of the muscular coat of the smaller divisions of the bronchi.

esophageal spasm

occurs mostly in young horses, the cause is unknown and the clinical syndrome is one of esophageal obstruction.

inherited congenital spasm's

in Jersey calves at birth; lethal within a few weeks; characterized by intermittent, vertical tremor of the head, neck and limbs, making progression and standing impossible; conditioned by a recessive gene.

muscle mass spasm

the basic functional defect in such diseases as Elso heel, inherited periodic spasticity.

nodding spasm

clonic spasm of the sternomastoid muscles, causing a nodding motion of the head.