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

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.