Muscle fasciculations
Muscle fasciculations or muscle twitches are small, rapid, involuntary contractions in skeletal muscles that are too weak to move a limb.[1] Superficial muscle fasciculations are visible to the eye. Deeper muscle fasciculations are detected by electromyography (EMG) testing.[2] They result from an involuntary firing of a single motor neuron (nerve cell) and all its innervated muscle fibers.[3]
Muscle fasciculations can occur in healthy people especially in the eyelid muscles, and are considered harmless, however, when fasciculations are accompanied by muscle weakness or muscle wasting, these fasciculations may indicate a neurological dysfunction.[1]
Prevalence[edit | edit source]
- In a 2001 Belgian study, 58.5% of patients meeting the Fukuda criteria and 64.1% of patients meeting the Holmes criteria, in a cohort of 2073 chronic fatigue syndrome patients, reported muscle fasciculations.[4]
Symptom recognition[edit | edit source]
The Canadian Consensus Criteria lists muscle fasciculations as a symptom of ME/CFS under the section Neurological/Cognitive Manifestations.[5]
Notable studies[edit | edit source]
Possible causes[edit | edit source]
Possible causes include:
- stress or anxiety
- excessive exercise
- fatigue
- too much caffeine intake
- poor sleep management or sleep apnea
- dehydration
- electrolyte abnormalities[6][7]
Illnesses causing muscle fasiculations[edit | edit source]
While fasiculations can occur in healthy people, they can sometimes be caused by systemic or other diseases, especially in people without a family history of ALS. These include:
- hyperthyroidism
- hypophosphatemia
- calcium disorders secondary to hyperparathyroidism
- neuromuscular disorders[8]
Benign Fasciculation Syndrome[edit | edit source]
Fasciculations are only definitely pathological when occurring in conjunction with muscle wasting or weakness of the muscle. Physiological fasciculations are common in healthy, fit young adults, particularly in the distal lower extremity muscles.
Potential treatments[edit | edit source]
Learn more[edit | edit source]
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 McGee, Steven (2018). Chapter 61 – Examination of the Motor System: Approach to Weakness.
- ↑ Mills, K R (June 1, 2005). "The basics of electromyography". Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 76 (suppl_2): ii32–ii35. doi:10.1136/jnnp.2005.069211. ISSN 0022-3050. PMC 1765694. PMID 15961866.
- ↑ Killian, J.M. (2010). Electromyography. 428-435. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-05712-7.00026-X.
- ↑ De Becker, Pascale; McGregor, Neil; De Meirleir, Kenny (December 2001). "A definition‐based analysis of symptoms in a large cohort of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome". Journal of Internal Medicine. 250 (3): 234–240. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2796.2001.00890.x.
- ↑ Carruthers, Bruce M.; Jain, Anil Kumar; De Meirleir, Kenny L.; Peterson, Daniel L.; Klimas, Nancy G.; Lerner, A. Martin; Bested, Alison C.; Flor-Henry, Pierre; Joshi, Pradip; Powles, A C Peter; Sherkey, Jeffrey A.; van de Sande, Marjorie I. (2003), "Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Clinical Working Case Definition, Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols", Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 11 (2): 7-115, doi:10.1300/J092v11n01_02
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4192433/
- ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123851574011593
- ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9781455726721000271
