Diseases

Muscle Spasticity

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)

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

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)

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Classification

Broader headings

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See Also

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Synonyms

5 entry terms
  • Spasticity, Muscle
  • Clasp-Knife Spasticity
  • Spastic
  • Clasp Knife Spasticity
  • Spasticity, Clasp-Knife

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

35 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemically induced, classification, complications, congenital, diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, diet therapy, drug therapy, economics, embryology, enzymology, epidemiology, ethnology, etiology, genetics, history, immunology, metabolism, microbiology, mortality, nursing, parasitology, pathology, physiopathology, prevention & control, psychology, radiotherapy, rehabilitation, surgery, therapy, urine, veterinary, virology.

MeSH Record

Indexing Annotation

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

MeSH Record

History Note

1977

MeSH Record

Previous Indexing

  • Spasm (1966-1976)

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Numbers

  1. C05w.651w.512w
  2. C10w.597.613.550w.550w
  3. C23.888w.592.608.550w.550w

MeSH Record

NLM Classification

WE 550

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Muscle Spasticity. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D009128. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D009128
  2. Muscle Spasticity. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spasticity
  3. Muscle Spasticity. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q117060