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A spasm is a sudden involuntary contraction of a muscle, [1] a group of muscles, or a hollow organ, such as the bladder. A spasmodic muscle contraction may be caused by many medical conditions, including dystonia. Most commonly, it is a muscle cramp which is accompanied by a sudden burst of pain. A muscle cramp is usually harmless and ceases ...
Myoclonus is a brief, involuntary, irregular (lacking rhythm) twitching of a muscle, a joint, or a group of muscles, different from clonus, which is rhythmic or regular. Myoclonus (myo-"muscle", clonus "spasm") describes a medical sign and, generally, is not a diagnosis of a disease.
The word blepharospasm is derived from the Greek: βλέφαρον / blepharon, eyelid, and σπασμός / spasmos, spasm, an uncontrolled muscle contraction. The condition should be distinguished from the more common, and milder, involuntary quivering of an eyelid, known as myokymia or fasciculation.
Hiccups are "involuntary spasms of the diaphragm," Pullins explains. The diaphragm is the dome-shaped muscle that's located below the lungs and heart. When these spasms or involuntary contractions ...
A hypnic jerk, hypnagogic jerk, sleep start, sleep twitch, myoclonic jerk, or night start is a brief and sudden involuntary contraction of the muscles of the body which occurs when a person is beginning to fall asleep, often causing the person to jump and awaken suddenly for a moment.
A cramp is a sudden, involuntary, painful skeletal muscle contraction [1] [2] or overshortening associated with electrical activity; [3] while generally temporary and non-damaging, they can cause significant pain and a paralysis-like immobility of the affected muscle.
An increase in neurotransmitters causes spasms to occur in the neck, resulting in spasmodic torticollis. [6] Studies of local field potentials have also shown an increase of 4–10 Hz oscillatory activity in the globus pallidus internus during myoclonic episodes and an increase of 5–7 Hz activity in dystonic muscles when compared to other ...
Dyskinesia refers to a category of movement disorders that are characterized by involuntary muscle movements, [1] including movements similar to tics or chorea and diminished voluntary movements. [2] Dyskinesia can be anything from a slight tremor of the hands to an uncontrollable movement of the upper body or lower extremities.