Spasticity

Definition:

The condition described by stiff or rigid muscles and exaggerated deep tendon reflexes that interferes with muscular activity, gait, movement, or speech.

Considerations:

Spasticity generally results from damage to the motor area of the brain (the portion of the cerebral cortex that controls voluntary movement).

When control of the muscles from the central nervous system is damaged, muscle feedback pathways from the spinal cord produce symptoms such as exaggerated deep tendon reflexes (the knee-jerk reflex), scissoring (crossing of the legs as the tips of scissors would close), repetitive jerky motions (clonus), unusual posturing, and carrying the shoulder, arm, wrist, and finger at an abnormal angle.

Spasticity may also interfere with speech. Severe, long term spasticity may lead to contracture of muscles causing joints to be bent at a fixed position.

Common causes:

• cerebral palsy
• anoxic brain damage (brain damage caused by lack of oxygen, as can occur in near drowning or near suffocation)
• brain trauma
• severe head injury
• some metabolic diseases
• adrenoleukodystrophy
• phenylketonuria

Note: There may be other causes of spasticity. This list is not all inclusive, and the causes are not presented in order of likelihood. The causes of this symptom can include unlikely diseases and medications. Furthermore, the causes may vary based on age and gender of the affected person, as well as on the specific characteristics of the symptom such as location, quality, time course, aggravating factors, relieving factors, and associated complaints. Use the Symptom Analysis option to explore the possible explanations for spasticity, occurring alone or in combination with other problems.