Abnormal Tone

What are the different types of muscle tone?

Normal, spasticity/hypertonicity, hypotonia, athetosis, ataxia, rigidity

normal muscle - passive/reactive

body can resist displacement, momentarily maintain new posture and rapidly adjust to imposed position (ex. standing in a subway car while it is moving)

normal muscle - active

quick and immediate positional adjustments during movement, possessing the ability to meet the stability and mobility demands of a given task (ex. grabbing onto a bar to not fall)

plegia

complete paralysis

paresis

partial or incomplete paralysis

monoplegia

paralysis of a single limb

hemiplegia

paralysis of one side of the body (opposite side of the brain cortex is damaged)

paraplegia

paralysis of the lower half of the body

diplegia

paralysis of corresponding parts on both sides of the body (more common in legs than arms)

quadriplegia

paralysis of all four limbs

double hemiplegia

Both sides of body involved, but one side more than other; arms usually more affected

hypertonic subtypes

spastic, dystonic, rigid

spasticity vs dystonic

velocity dependent - increased velocity, increased manifestations (can see clonus)

vs.

efferent signal overload - can be any type of noxious stimulus