| masticatory spasm | Involuntary convulsive muscular contraction affecting the muscles of mastication. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| retrocollic spasm | Torticollis in which the spasm affects the posterior neck muscles. Synonym: retrocollis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| rotatory spasm | A disorder of unknown cause, manifested as a restricted dystonia, localised to some of the neck muscles, especially the sternomastoid and trapezius; occurs in adults and tends to progress slowly; the head movements increase with standing and walking and decrease with contractual stimuli, e.g., touching the chin or neck. Synonym: dystonic torticollis, rotatory spasm, rotatory tic. (05 Mar 2000) |
| phonic spasm | A spasmodic contraction of the intrinsic muscles of the larynx excited by attempted phonation, producing either adductor or abductor subtypes caused by central nervous system disease. A localised form of movement disorder. Synonym: phonic spasm, spastic dysphonia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mimic spasm | <neurology> A repetitive spasmodic movement of the eyes or facial muscles. May also involve the neck or shoulders. Tics are most common in children. The cause is unknown but may be linked to stress. Tics are more common in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disease. Most tics require no treatment and resolve on their own with patient education. (12 Jan 1998) |
| clonic spasm | Alternate involuntary contraction and relaxation of a muscle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mobile spasm | A tonic spasm occurring in spastic infantile hemiplegia on attempted movement. (05 Mar 2000) |
| winking spasm | Involuntary spasmodic winking. Synonym: spasmus nictitans, winking spasm. (05 Mar 2000) |
| muscle spasm | <physiology> Painful involuntary muscle contractions. Often seen in skeletal muscle after acute injury (muscle strain). (07 Apr 1998) |
| coronary artery spasm | A sudden vasoconstriction of a coronary artery depriving the myocardium of blood flow and oxygen. This may clinically manifest as chest pain referred to as variant angina or Printzmetal's angina. May be precipitated by emotional stress, medications, street drugs (cocaine) or on exposure to cold. Treatment includes nitroglycerin or beta-blocker medications. (27 Sep 1997) |
| habit spasm | <clinical sign> An involuntary compulsive, repetitive, stereotyped movement, resembling a purposeful movement because it is coordinated and involves muscles in their normal synergistic relationships, tics usually involve the face and shoulders. (18 Nov 1997) |
| cynic spasm | The semblance of a grin caused by facial spasm especially in tetanus. Synonym: canine spasm, cynic spasm, risus sardonicus, sardonic grin, spasmus caninus, trismus sardonicus. Origin: L. Risus, laugh + caninus, doglike (05 Mar 2000) |
| salaam spasm | In infants, a drop of the head on the chest due to loss of tone in the neck muscles as in epilepsia nutans, or to tonic spasm of anterior neck muscles as in West's syndrome, in adults, a nodding of the head from clonic spasm's of the sternomastoid muscles. Synonym: salaam attack, salaam spasm, spasmus nutans. (05 Mar 2000) |
| saltatory spasm | A spasmodic affection of the muscles of the lower extremities. Synonym: Bamberger's disease, dancing spasm, Gowers disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hemifacial spasm | Tonic spasm of the muscles supplied by the facial nerve, confined to one side. (12 Dec 1998) |