What is Myoclonus?
Myoclonus denotes a muscle jerk which is quick and involuntary. For instance, a type of myoclonus is hiccups as well as the abrupt jerks an individual has when dropping into sleep. There are types of myoclonus that happen in people who are healthy and very rarely present any problem.
More often, myoclonus is denoted as an indication of a disorder of the nervous system, for instance epilepsy, or a reaction to a medication, as well as a metabolic disorder. Myoclonic jerking can develop in individuals with Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Myoclonic jerks usually occur in individuals with epilepsy, which is a disorder where the electrical activity in the brain becomes disorderly and leads to seizures.
Preferably, the primary cause needs to be treated in order to help control any symptoms of myoclonus. If the reason is unsolved or cannot be precisely treated, then management centers on decreasing any problems that myoclonus has with an individual’s daily activities.
Myoclonus Symptoms
Individuals with myoclonus frequently define the signs as “shakes”, “spasms” or “jerks” that are:
- Brief
- Sudden
- Shock-like
- Involuntary
- Localized in one area of the body or over the entire body
- Variable in frequency as well as intensity
- Often serious enough to inhibit talking, walking or eating
When an individual’s symptoms of myoclonus become persistent as well as frequent, it is time to talk with your primary care physician for correct diagnosis and management or further evaluation. The doctor will want you to define the symptoms of myoclonus in detail, especially what seems to cause these symptoms and how or when they leave. The doctor will probably also inquire about any history of:
- Any other problems with neurology
- Chemical or drug exposure
- Seizures
- Any other types of medical problems
- Members of family with epilepsy or a comparable problem
The doctor may attempt to cause your symptoms of myoclonus, so he/she can actually see what or how many muscle groups are involved as well as if there could be any other neurological anomalies which could transpire at the identical time.
Diagnosing the reason for myoclonus normally is a practice of elimination. In order to eliminate possible reasons, the physician can endorse the below listed types of tests:
Electroencephalography or EEG
Procedure which registers the electrical actions of the brain and can help to determine the area of the brain the myoclonus seems to begin in. EEGs take under about an hour and are painless. Electrodes which are small are attached to the head with either elastic cap or a paste. You will be asked to breathe deeply for some minutes to relax or to stare at a patterned panel. At stretches a flashing light may be shined in your eyes.
Electromyography or EMG
Test which measures the electrical expulsions which are produced in the muscles and can help to find the pattern of myoclonus. Thin wire electrodes are implanted into the muscles that the physician wishes to study. This can be a little uncomfortable, but the majority of individuals complete the test just fine. A device will record the electrical movement from the muscle while at rest as well as when contracted – such as while bending the arm. The signals will help to conclude if there is any injury to the muscle or the nerve which goes to the muscle. This test usually takes about an hour.
Magnetic resonance imaging or MRI
This is a scan which can be used to test for anything such as problems which are structural or tumors inside the skull, which can be creating the myoclonus symptoms. These scans use powerful magnets as well as radio waves to create thorough images of organs which are internal. This scan is very noisy but painless – but many people experience feelings of claustrophobia.
Laboratory tests
Your physician may also want to test urine as well as blood for evidence of:
- Autoimmune disease
- Metabolic imbalances
- Diabetes
- Liver or kidney disease
- Toxins or drugs
Myoclonus Causes
This problem could be triggered by an assortment of causal problems. Physicians frequently separate the kinds of myoclonus on what causes them, and this aids in determining treatment. The forms of myoclonus contain the following classifications.
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Physiological Myoclonus
Normally occurs in healthy individuals and rarely need any treatment. Examples could be:
- Hiccups
- Infant with twitching muscle while sleeping or after eating
- Sleep starts
Essential Myoclonus
These occur on their own, normally without other problems as well as without being linked to any causal disease or disorder. The cause of these types of myoclonus is frequently unexplained or, in particular cases, hereditary.
Epileptic Myoclonus
This is a form of myoclonus which occurs as a portion of an epileptic condition. Jerking muscles may be the only symptom or can also be one of many.
Symptomatic or Secondary Myoclonus
This is a very common type of myoclonus. Jerking of the muscles happen as a consequence of a causal medical illness, such as:
- Spinal cord or head infection or injury
- Brain tumor
- Stroke
- Drug or chemical poisoning
- Liver or kidney failure
- Medication reaction
- Prolonged deprivation of oxygen
- Huntington’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Problems with metabolism
Myoclonus Treatment
The treatment of myoclonus is more operative when an underlying reversible cause is uncovered—for example a toxin or medication which can be stopped or flushed from the body. The majority of time the cause which is underlying cannot be eliminated or cured, so then treatment is concentrated on easing the myoclonus symptoms, specifically when they are disabling. There aren’t any medications designed specifically for treating myoclonus, but physicians have used other medication used to treat other diseases to relieve the symptoms of myoclonic.
Myoclonus Medications
Medications which physicians commonly recommend for myoclonus consist of:
Anticonvulsants
Medications to manage epileptic seizures also been proven to be useful in decreasing symptoms of myoclonus. The common anticonvulsant medications used for myoclonus are levetiracetam (Keppra), primidone (Mysoline) and valproic acid (Depakene).
Tranquilizers
Clonazepam (Klonopin) is the drug most frequently used in combating myoclonus symptoms
Myoclonus Therapy
Botox or “botulinum toxin type A” injections can also be useful in the treating of a variety of sorts of myoclonus especially if just a single portion of the body is affected. Botulinum toxins blocks the chemical messenge release that normally triggers contractions of the muscle.
Myoclonus Surgery
If the myoclonus symptoms occur because of a lesion or tumor in the spinal cord or brain, surgery can be another option. Deep stimulation in the brain has been used in some individuals who have disorders which are inherited and are hard to treat.
