Abnormal posture

Asterixis Abnormal posture and movements that may occur in advanced liver disease and a few other circumstances. 

Dystonia is characterized by sustained muscle contractions. In patients with dystonia, normal movements are disrupted by cocontraction of agonist and antagonist muscles, and by excessive activation of inappropriate musculature (overflow), leading to abnormal postures and slow involuntary twisting movements, which are often associated with movement execution. 

A). Mice react to morphine with excitation, evident in the form of an abnormal posture of the tail and limbs. The dose dependence of this phenomenon is observed in groups of animals (e.g., 10 mice per group) injected with increasing doses of morphine. At the low dose, only the most sensitive, at increasing doses a growing proportion, at the highest dose all of the animals are affected... 

The dystonias are disorders that involve sustained, involuntary muscle contractions and abnormal posture which interferes with normal motor function. Dystonias can be focal, as in the case of torticollis in which the neck involuntarily rotates, or they may be progressive and generalized as in torsion dystonia in which the body slowly becomes contorted. Torsian dystonia is familial and recent studies have identified a defective gene which may be responsible. 

Seizures/convulsions, awareness reaction, startle response, vocalization, irritability, decreased abdominal tone, increased secretion, body tremors, decreased grip strength, immobility, motor activity, ataxia, abnormal posture, stereotypy, excretion, decreased respiration, piloerection, loss of righting, pupil size, nociceptive (pain) response, corneal reflex, and pinnal reflex... 

GG is a 42-year-old man who has been on perphenazine as maintenance therapy for schizophrenia diagnosed at age 25. His mother is concerned because she has noticed abnormal posturing and stiffness in the movements of the body and face over the past few months. Which agent would be most appropriate to reverse and prevent further dystonic symptoms due to GG s antipsychotic therapy ... 

Evidence of head or other CNS injury (bradycardia, tachypnea, and hypertension poor pupillary response asymmetry on neurologic examination abnormal posturing... 

Dystonia—Sustained muscular spasm or abnormal postures. 

Octyl ester 36 >500A Abnormal posture, some tremors. 

Movement disorders refer to those clinical syndromes involving (a) a deficit in non- or extrapyramidal function and (b) at least one non-epileptic abnormal movement. Typical symptoms include akinesia or bradykinesia, ataxia, catalepsy, chorea, spasm, tremor and dystonia (slow involuntary muscle contractions producing abnormal posture or position), either focal or generalized. Many movement disorders are poorly controlled with current therapies, especially those with dystonia, spasticity and iatrogenic dyskinesia, and better drug therapies are clearly indicated. 

EXTRAPYRAMIDAL EFFECTS OF ANTIPSYCHOTICS The acute adverse clinical effects of antipsychotic agents are best mimicked in animals by assessing catalepsy in rats (immobility that allows an animal to be placed in abnormal postures that persist) or dystonia in monkeys. Late dyskinetic effects of antipsychotics are represented by the development of vacuous chewing... 

Antipsychotic phenothiazine blocks most dopamine receptors in the CNS. Tox atropine-like effects (marked), electrocardiographic abnormalities, postural hypotension, retinal pigmentation, sedation, additive effects with other CNS depressants (but less EPS dysfunction than with other phenothiazines). 

Prolonged muscle contractions that may cause twisting and repititive movements or abnormal posture. Cvetkovic M etal. DrugMetab. Dispos. 27, 866-871, 1999. 

Neurological cretinism has a characteristic standing posture characterized by flexion of the neck and flexed hips and knees with abductor tightness (Hollowell and Hannon, 1997). In this situation, the trunk tilts forward, the feet are flat and everted, and the gait is broad-based and knock-kneed. The arms are often held in a curious posture with shoulders abducted and the elbows and wrists flexed. Most individuals have characteristic gait disturbances ranging from an abnormal posture and rhythm to an inability to walk. 

Primitive reflexes and a non-paralytic squint, with failure of abduction of one or both eyes on lateral gaze, were present in many patients (see Table 4). Half the patients were deaf to a greater or lesser extent. We found no signs of cerebellar dysfunction or of a peripheral neuropathy. The only evidence of an extrapyramidal disturbance was mildly abnormal posturing of the hands and a... 

Wernicke s encephalopathy. This is most frequent clinical manifestation of thiamine deficiency in developed countries. It is frequently associated with alcoholism and other conditions impairing nutrition. This neuropsychiatric disorder is characterized by eye muscle paralysis, abnormal posture and gait, and impaired cognitive functions. Progressive deterioration of WE patients ends with KorsakofFs psychosis with manifestation of amnesia, stupor and loss of conceptual functions. 

Catalepsy A lack of response to external stimuli. Assessed as a failure to eorrect an externally imposed abnormal posture. Animals are placed with forepaws on an elevated wire posture holding time >10 s indicates catalepsy... 

Any deviation from these relationships is considered a normal variant or an abnormal postural relationship. 

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