Anonymous
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Search
Editing
Muscle fasciculations
From MEpedia, a crowd-sourced encyclopedia of ME and CFS science and history
Namespaces
Page
Discussion
More
More
Page actions
Read
Edit
Edit source
History
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
<embedvideo service="youtube" dimensions="400" alignment="right" container="frame" description="Muscle fasciculations in potassium [[channelopathy]] by vlivings. Muscle twitching can be a symptom of [[Myalgic Encephalomyelitis]].">https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/watch?v=A95YZd01k1c&autoplay=0</embedvideo> '''Muscle fasciculations''' or '''muscle twitches''' are small, rapid, involuntary contractions in that are too weak to move a limb.<ref name="McGee, 2018" /> Superficial [[muscle fasciculations]] are visible to the eye. Deeper muscle fasciculations may be invisible, and can be detected by [[electromyography]] (EMG) testing.<ref name="Mills">{{Cite journal | last = Mills | first = K R | date = 2005-06-01 | title = The basics of electromyography|url=http://jnnp.bmj.com/cgi/doi/10.1136/jnnp.2005.069211|journal=Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry|language=en|volume=76|issue=suppl 2|pages=ii32–ii35|doi=10.1136/jnnp.2005.069211|issn=0022-3050|pmc=1765694|pmid=15961866|quote=|via=}}</ref> ==Prevalence== A 2001 Belgian study of 2073 [[chronic fatigue syndrome]] patients found that 58.5% of patients meeting the [[Fukuda criteria]] for CFS and 64.1% of patients meeting the [[Holmes criteria]] reported muscle fasciculations.<ref name="DeBecker">{{Cite journal | last = De Becker | first = Pascale | authorlink = Pascale De Becker | last2 = McGregor | first2 = Neil | authorlink2 = Neil McGregor | last3 = De Meirleir | first3 = Kenny | authorlink3 = Kenny De Meirleir | date = December 2001 | title = A definition‐based analysis of symptoms in a large cohort of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1365-2796.2001.00890.x?sid=nlm%3Apubmed|journal=Journal of Internal Medicine|volume=250|issue=3|pages=234–240|doi=10.1046/j.1365-2796.2001.00890.x|quote=|via=}}</ref> ==Symptom recognition== The [[Canadian Consensus Criteria]] for ME/CFS lists muscle fasciculations as a possible symptom in the list of ''Neurological/Cognitive Manifestations''.<ref>{{Citation | last1 = Carruthers | first1 = Bruce M. | authorlink1 = Bruce Carruthers | last2 = Jain | first2 = Anil Kumar | authorlink2 = Anil Kumar Jain | last3 = De Meirleir | first3 = Kenny L. | authorlink3 = Kenny De Meirleir | last4 = Peterson | first4 = Daniel L. | authorlink4 = Daniel Peterson | last5 = Klimas | first5 = Nancy G. | authorlink5 = Nancy Klimas | last6 = Lerner | first6 = A. Martin | authorlink6 = Martin Lerner | last7 = Bested | first7 = Alison C. | authorlink7 = Alison Bested | last8 =Flor-Henry | first8 = Pierre | authorlink8 = Pierre Flor-Henry | last9 = Joshi | first9 = Pradip | authorlink9 = Pradip Joshi | last10 = Powles | first10 = AC Peter | authorlink10 = A C Peter Powles | last11 = Sherkey | first11 = Jeffrey A. | authorlink11 = Jeffrey Sherkey | last12 = van de Sande | first12 = Marjorie I. | authorlink12 = Marjorie van de Sande | title = Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Clinical Working Case Definition, Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols| journal = Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | volume = 11 | issue = 2 | pages = 7-115 | date = 2003 | doi = 10.1300/J092v11n01_02}}</ref> == Possible causes== Muscle fasciculations result from an involuntary firing of a single motor neuron (nerve cell) and all its innervated muscle fibers.<ref name="Killian">Killian, J.M. (2010). Electromyography. 428-435. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-05712-7.00026-X.</ref> Possible causes include: *[[stress]] or [[anxiety]] *excessive [[exercise]] *[[fatigue]] *too much [[caffeine]] intake *poor sleep management or [[sleep apnea]] *dehydration * Electrolyte abnormalities<ref name="Leite2014">{{Cite journal | last = Leite | first = Marco Antonio Araujo | last2 = Orsini | first2 = Marco | last3 = de Freitas | first3 = Marcos R.G. | last4 = Pereira | first4 = João Santos | last5 = Gobbi | first5 = Fábio Henrique Porto | last6 = Bastos | first6 = Victor Hugo | last7 = de Castro Machado | first7 = Dionis | last8 = Machado | first8 = Sergio | last9 = Arrias-Carrion | first9 = Oscar | date = 2014-08-08 | title = Another Perspective on Fasciculations: When is it not Caused by the Classic form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Progressive Spinal Atrophy?|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4192433/|journal=Neurology International|volume=6|issue=3 | pages = 5208|doi=10.4081/ni.2014.5208|issn=2035-8385|pmc=4192433|pmid=25309711}}</ref><ref name="Ramahi2014">{{Cite book | last = Ramahi | first = A.A. | last2 = Katirji | first2 = B. | last3 = Devereaux | first3 = M. | date = 2014-01-01 | editor-last = Aminoff|editor-first = Michael J.|editor2-last=Daroff| editor2-first = Robert B. | title=Lower Motor Neuron Lesions|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123851574011593|language=en|location=Oxford|publisher=Academic Press | pages = 918–922|isbn=978-0-12-385158-1}}</ref> ==Benign Fasciculation Syndrome== Benign Fasciculation Syndrome (BFS) is a greater than normal occurrence of fasiculations that are not associated with disease.<ref name="Ramahi2014" /> {{Quote box|text=Fasciculations are only definitely pathological when occurring in conjunction with [[muscle wasting]] or [[paresis|weakness of the muscle]]. Physiological fasciculations are common in healthy, fit young adults, particularly in the distal lower extremity muscles.<ref name="Ramahi2014"/>|source=Lower Motor Neuron Lesions (2014) | title = Benign or pathological}} ==Illnesses causing muscle fasiculations== 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.<ref name="McGee, 2018">{{Cite book | first = Steven |last =McGee| title = Chapter 61 – Examination of the Motor System: Approach to Weakness| date = 2018| url = https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780323392761000615 }}</ref> Fasiculations can sometimes be caused by systemic or other diseases; these are typically nore common than [[amyotrophic lateral sclerosis|ALS]]. Illnesses that may cause fasiculations include: *[[hyperthyroidism]] *hypophosphatemia *calcium disorders secondary to [[hyperparathyroidism]] *[[hypomagnesemia|low magnesium level]] (hypomagnesemia) *neuromuscular disorders *tongue fasiculations have been found in a third of patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis<ref name="McGee, 2018" /><ref name="Preston2013">{{Cite book | last = Preston | first = David C. | authorlink = | last2 = Shapiro | first2 = Barbara E. | authorlink2 = | date = 2013-01-01 | editor-last = Preston | editor-first = David C.|editor2-last=Shapiro|editor2-first=Barbara E. | title=Electromyography and Neuromuscular Disorders|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9781455726721000271|journal=|chapter=27 - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and its Variants|language=en|edition=3rd|location=London|publisher=W.B. Saunders|volume= | pages = 417–431|doi=|isbn=978-1-4557-2672-1|pmc=|pmid=|access-date=|quote=|via=}}</ref> ==Drugs linked to benign fasiculations == *[[Mestinon]] (pyridostigmine) which is taken by some people with ME/CFS *cholinesterase inhibitors other than pyridostigmine *[[:Category:Central nervous system stimulants|central nervous system stimulants]] such as theophylline and lithium<ref name="Ramahi2014" /> ==Potential treatments== Addressing any lifestyle factors such as excessive caffeine intake, and treating any disorders that are associated with the fasciculations. ==Notable studies== *2001, A definition‐based analysis of symptoms in a large cohort of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1365-2796.2001.00890.x?sid=nlm%3Apubmed (Full text)] ==Learn more== *[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4192433/ Another Perspective on Fasciculations: When is it not Caused by the Classic form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Progressive Spinal Atrophy?] ==See also== *[[Exercise intolerance]] *[[Muscle fatigability]] *[[Myoclonus]] *[[Channelopathy]] *[[Paresis]] ==References== {{Reflist}} [[Category:Signs and symptoms]] [[Category:Muscular signs and symptoms]] [[Category:Neurological signs and symptoms]]
Summary:
Please make sure your edits are consistent with
MEpedia's guidelines
.
By saving changes, you agree to the
Terms of use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 3.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Templates used on this page:
Template:Citation
(
edit
)
Template:Cite book
(
edit
)
Template:Cite journal
(
edit
)
Template:Main other
(
edit
)
Template:Quote box
(
edit
)
Template:Reflist
(
edit
)
Module:Check for unknown parameters
(
edit
)
Module:Citation/CS1
(
edit
)
Module:Citation/CS1/COinS
(
edit
)
Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration
(
edit
)
Module:Citation/CS1/Date validation
(
edit
)
Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers
(
edit
)
Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities
(
edit
)
Module:Citation/CS1/Whitelist
(
edit
)
Module:No globals
(
edit
)
Navigation
Navigation
Skip to content
Main page
Browse
Become an editor
Random page
Popular pages
Abbreviations
Glossary
About MEpedia
Links for editors
Contents
Guidelines
Recent changes
Pages in need
Search
Help
Wiki tools
Wiki tools
Special pages
Page tools
Page tools
User page tools
More
What links here
Related changes
Page information
Page logs