TY - JOUR
T1 - Extremely sustained startle-induced clonus
T2 - Non epileptic motor attacks mimicking clonic seizures in children with encephalopathy
AU - Mari, Francesco
AU - Gana, Simone
AU - Piras, Francesca
AU - Guerrini, Renzo
PY - 2012/3
Y1 - 2012/3
N2 - Clonus is a pathological motor pattern characterised by involuntary, rhythmic and brisk muscular contractions in response to peripheral stimuli producing muscle stretching. It indicates pathological involvement of the corticospinal tract and can be considered as a functional spastic movement disorder of variable clinical presentation and duration. We documented severe and prolonged episodes of startle-induced clonic attacks associated with severe apnoea, occurring in three infants with severe encephalopathy. The clinical characteristics of such episodes are very similar to those of clonic epileptic seizures. Video-EEG recordings confirmed the non epileptic origin of the episodes. Previous anti-epileptic drug treatment was unsuccessful but myorelaxing drugs produced a dramatic improvement.
AB - Clonus is a pathological motor pattern characterised by involuntary, rhythmic and brisk muscular contractions in response to peripheral stimuli producing muscle stretching. It indicates pathological involvement of the corticospinal tract and can be considered as a functional spastic movement disorder of variable clinical presentation and duration. We documented severe and prolonged episodes of startle-induced clonic attacks associated with severe apnoea, occurring in three infants with severe encephalopathy. The clinical characteristics of such episodes are very similar to those of clonic epileptic seizures. Video-EEG recordings confirmed the non epileptic origin of the episodes. Previous anti-epileptic drug treatment was unsuccessful but myorelaxing drugs produced a dramatic improvement.
KW - Clonic seizures
KW - Clonus
KW - Encephalopathy
KW - Startle-induced seizures
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84856523949&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84856523949&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.seizure.2011.09.011
DO - 10.1016/j.seizure.2011.09.011
M3 - Article
C2 - 22079856
AN - SCOPUS:84856523949
VL - 21
SP - 147
EP - 150
JO - Seizure : the journal of the British Epilepsy Association
JF - Seizure : the journal of the British Epilepsy Association
SN - 1059-1311
IS - 2
ER -