Carotid brainstem reflex myoclonus after hypoxic brain damage

A patient comatose after acute anoxia developed bilaterally synchronous, periodic myoclonic jerks most prominently in the bilateral upper limbs. Although the myoclonus seemed to occur spontaneously, electrophysiological studies showed that the myoclonic jerks correlated in timing and size with arter...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry neurosurgery and psychiatry, 2000-11, Vol.69 (5), p.672-674
Main Authors: Hanakawa, Takashi, Hashimoto, Shuji, Iga, Kanji, Segawa, Yoshiaki, Shibasaki, Hiroshi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
arterial pulse
Biological and medical sciences
Blood pressure
Brain Stem - physiopathology
carotid sinus
Carotid Sinus - physiopathology
Disorders of higher nervous function. Focal brain diseases. Central vestibular syndrome and deafness. Brain stem syndromes
Electrocardiography
Electromyography
Heart - physiopathology
Humans
Hypoxia - physiopathology
involuntary movement
Male
Medical sciences
medullary reticular formation
Myoclonus - physiopathology
Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes)
Neurology
Reflex - physiology
Rodents
Short Report
Ultrasonic imaging
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Summary:A patient comatose after acute anoxia developed bilaterally synchronous, periodic myoclonic jerks most prominently in the bilateral upper limbs. Although the myoclonus seemed to occur spontaneously, electrophysiological studies showed that the myoclonic jerks correlated in timing and size with arterial pulses, and was suppressed by massage over the carotid sinus. It is proposed that the present myoclonus is a variant of brainstem reflex myoclonus in which arterial pulses served as intrinsic trigger stimuli via the carotid sinus and the medullary reticular formation.
ISSN:0022-3050
1468-330X
DOI:10.1136/jnnp.69.5.672