Canadian Medical Guide > Diseases > Musculoskeletal Diseases > Muscular Diseases > Muscle Spasticity Terms and Definitions

Muscle Spasticity

Medical Definition:	A form of muscle hypertonia associated with upper MOTOR NEURON DISEASE. Resistance to passive stretch of a spastic muscle results in minimal initial resistance (a "free interval") followed by an incremental increase in muscle tone. Tone increases in proportion to the velocity of stretch. Spasticity is usually accompanied by HYPERREFLEXIA and variable degrees of MUSCLE WEAKNESS. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p54)
Guide Notes:	skeletal muscle only; note category: not physiological; spastic paralysis: coord NIM with PARALYSIS (IM); spasticity in cerebral palsy: coord NIM with CEREBRAL PALSY only if musc spasticity is especially discussed
Also Called:	Clasp-Knife Spasticity,Spastic
Previously Indexed:	Spasm (1966-1976)

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