Spasticity Flashcards
What is a common complication of cerebral palsy, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and stroke?
Spasticity
What is characterized as velocity dependent hypertonia?
Spasticity
Resistance of muscle to passive stretch, slight steady state partial contraction in normally innervated resting muscle, and postural tone describes what?
Muscle tone
Weakness is indicative of a lesion in what type of motor neurons? (Upper or lower)
Upper and lower
Atrophy is indicative of a lesion in what type of neuron? (Upper or lower)
Lower
Fasciculations is indicative of a lesion in what type of neuron? (Upper or lower)
Lower
Reflexes are increased in what type of motor lesion? (Upper or lower)
Upper
Reflexes are decreased in what type of motor lesion? (Upper or lower)
Lower
Tone is increased in what type of motor lesion? (Upper or lower)
Upper
Tone is decreased in what type of motor lesion? (Upper or lower)
Lower
Axon leaving CNS and innervating a skeletal muscle describes what?
Lower motor neuron
Axons that do not leave the central nervous system describe what?
Upper motor neuron
Hyperreflexia, clonus, babinski, dystonia/co contraction, rigidity (velocity independent hypertonia), and spasticity are characteristic of what?
Upper motor neuron lesions
The reflex arc remains intact in what kind of neuronal lesion?
Upper motor neuron lesion
Involuntary, repeating, rhythmic muscle contractions in response to stretch describes what?
Clonus
In a normal babinski sign what direction do the toes curl?
Down
What descending pathways travel from the midbrain to the cervical spinal cord?
Tectospinal and rubrospinal
What descending tract facilitates elbow and forearm flexors?
Rubrospinal
What descending tract can help modulate reflexes, can dampen reflex response, does postural control from the medial pons to spinal cord and facilitates flexors from lateral medulla to spinal cord?
Reticulospinal
What descending tract laterally controls upper extremities by facilitation of extensors and maintenance of balance and medially controls the cervical spinal cord to orient the head?
Vestibulospinal
What posturing reflex or rigidity is noted above the level of the red nucleus (mid brain)?
Decorticate (flexor)
What posturing of rigidity reflex is noted below the level of the red nucleus (midbrain)?
Decerebate (extensor)
What are ways to measure spasticity?
Ashworth scale, modified ashworth scale, tardieu scale
The ashworth scale primarily measures an increase in what?
Muscle tone
What are two medications used to treat spasticity?
Baclofen and Botox
What are some treatments for spasticity?
Stretching ( maintain rom, doesn’t reduce spasticity), casting/serial casting, e-stim ( to weak muscles), surgery (dorsal rhizotomy, tendon transfer)
What anti spasticity medication is a GABA analog, has presynaptic inhibition of neuronal connections contributing to Hyperreflexia, and can be administered orally or intrathecally?
Baclofen
What anti spasticity medication prevents release of acetylcholine from the pre synaptic terminal at the neuromuscular junction (acting on the LMN)?
Botox
Imbalance of strength between agonist and antagonist is known as what?
Paresis (weakness)
Soft tissue contractures ultimately cause what?
Limits the range of motion
