ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the nursing care for the stiff-man syndrome patient.Methods Retrospective analysis had been performed for the nursing care of a patient with stiff-man syndrome.Results After 4 weeks of careful treatment and nursing care,the patient was discharged from the hospital.Conclusions Suitable nursing according to patients' condition,medication monitoring,psychological care,safety nursing and health guidance can prevent or delay the development of the disease and promote comprehensive rehabilitation for patients.
ABSTRACT
Stiff man syndrome is a rare neurological condition characterized by progressive muscle stiffness and rigidity, painful spasm of axial and limb muscles with impairment of walking. Because its etiology is still unclear, diagnosis is based on typical clinical manifestations. Benzodiazepines are known as effective drug for the treatment of symptoms. We report a case of 39-year-old female patient who has suffered from rigidity of trunk, back pain, gait disturbance and depressive mood for 18 months. She was diagnosed as stiff man syndrome and successfully treated with medications such as diazepam, clonidine, baclofen.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Back Pain , Baclofen , Benzodiazepines , Clonidine , Diazepam , Extremities , Gait , Muscles , Spasm , Stiff-Person Syndrome , WalkingABSTRACT
The stiff-man syndrome is a rare and disabling disorder, characterized by muscle rigidity with superimposed painful spasms involving axial and limb musculature. The clinical symptoms are continuous contraction of agonist and antagonist muscles caused by involuntary motor-unit firing at rest and spasms precipitated by tactile stimuli, passive stretch, volitional movement of muscles, startling noises and emotional stimuli. The cause of stiff-man syndrome is unknown but an autoimmune pathogenesis is suspected. The presence of antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase, the asso-ciation of the disease with other autoimmune disorders, and the presence of various autoantibodies contribute to the assumption. The stiff-man syndrome is clinically elusive, but potentially treatable and should be considered in patients with unexplained stiffness and spasms. Drugs that enhance GABA neurotransmission, such as diazepam and baclofen, provide modest relief of clinical symptoms. We described three patients with clinical and electrophysiologic feature of stiff-man syndrome.