Clinical and electrophysiological study of propriospinal myoclonus / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To discuss the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of propriospinal myoclonus (PSM).Methods:The clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of four patients diagnosed as PSM in the Electroencephalography Monitoring Center, Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital, the Air Force Military Medical University from April 2018 to July 2019 were studied. All patients were accorded with diagnostic criteria of PSM that international classification of sleep disorders-3 edition recommended and were followed up.Results:There were three males and one female in the four patients. The age of onset was ranged from 43 to 55 years. The course was from eight months to three years, and the follow-up time was from three months to one year. The clinical features of the four patients were characteristically paroxysmal tic or shaking of the neck, trunk or limbs, with short duration and great frequency. All patients accepted 24-hour video electroencephalography monitoring. No epileptic discharge was recorded during the monitoring. The burst activity of deltoid, quadriceps or rectus abdominis muscle was monitored by surface electromyography at the onset of myoclonus. All patients were treated with clonazepam. Three patients had an obvious curative effect and one patient had no effect.Conclusions:The clinical manifestation of PSM is similar to seizures. There is no epileptic discharge, and only the burst activity of muscles is monitored at the onset. Most patients have significant effect on clonazepam.