Submitted by deb on Sun, 06/26/2011 – 22:39 Description of Myoclonus Here is a description of myoclonus by Joseph Jankovic, M.D: Myoclonus describes a symptom and generally is not a diagnosis of a disease. It refers to sudden, involuntary jerking of a muscle or group of muscles. Myoclonic jerks may occur alone or in sequence, in a pattern or…
Submitted by deb on Sun, 06/26/2011 – 22:13 Myoclonus is the sudden, involuntary jerking of a muscle or group of muscles. Myoclonic jerks may occur alone or in sequence, in a pattern or without pattern. They may occur infrequently or many times each minute. Myoclonus sometimes occurs in response to an external event or when a person…
Submitted by deb on Sun, 06/26/2011 – 22:54 Part One There is little available medical literature to guide the physician in the care of the pregnant patient who has periodic paralysis. The first part of this packet consists of abstracts and quotations drawn from current literature. But this information is limited. Because Periodic Paralysis International has a…
Submitted by deb on Mon, 06/27/2011 – 00:31 In July of 1998 we conducted a survey of 64 self-reported clinically diagnosed periodic paralysis patients, all members of the HKPP Listserv. The questionnaire underwent no formal validation process, nor was the data assessed by personnel trained in this field. The patients surveyed were drawn from several countries and…
Submitted by deb on Mon, 06/27/2011 – 20:54 Acetazolamide (aka Diamox) is frequently prescribed as therapy for the periodic paralyses. While most patients take this drug without incident it can interact with other drugs. Physicians should be aware of potential problems which might arise. Acetazolamide can decrease excretion of dextroamphetamine, anticholinergics, mecamylamine, ephedrine, mexiletine, or quinidine because…
Submitted by deb on Sat, 07/25/2015 – 18:54 The antibiotic Bactrim is well-known to produce muscle weakness, even paralysis in patients with Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis. It is contraindicated in patients with Anderson-Tawil Syndrome because of its propensity to produce cardiac arrhythmia, but many clinicians do not realize that it also produces hyperkalemia in a majority of patients…
Submitted by deb on Mon, 06/27/2011 – 02:57 Giorgio Buzzi, MD, Neurologist Buzzi G, Mostacci B, Sancisi E, Cirignotta F. Sleep complaints in Periodic Paralyses: a web survey. Functional Neurology 2001, 17 (3). From the Sleep Medicine Unit – Dept. of Neurology S.Orsola-Malpighi Hospital – University of Bologna, Italy. SUMMARY Section 1. Background: K+ and REM sleep homeostasis….
Submitted by deb on Wed, 09/07/2011 – 03:04 For your convenience, arranged by topic, a “shelf” of journal articles on the periodic paralyses. If you have a favorite link to suggest please pass it along. Textbook and Reviews Meola G, Hanna M G and Fontaine B. Diagnosis and Treatment of Muscle Channelopathies. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2009;80:360–365. Dr Michael…
Submitted by deb on Thu, 07/26/2012 – 17:00 PLoS One. 2012; 7(7): e40235.Published online 2012 July 10. Splicing of the rSlo Gene Affects the Molecular Composition and Drug Response of Ca2+-Activated K+ Channels in Skeletal Muscle Maria Maddalena Dinardo,#1 Giulia Camerino,#1 Antonietta Mele,1 Ramon Latorre,2 Diana Conte Camerino,1 and Domenico Tricarico1,* The molecular composition and drug responses…
Submitted by deb on Wed, 03/13/2013 – 18:08 Leaky channels make weak muscles: Mutations in the skeletal muscle voltage-gated calcium channel (CaV 1.1) have been associated with hypokalemic periodic paralysis, but how these mutations cause the symptoms of the disorder has always been unclear. In this article the authors describe how they used mice with the CaV 1.1…