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paratonia (gegenhalten)
Etiology:
- frontal lobe disease (dementia)
- middle to late stage Alzheimer's disease
- Lewy body dementia [2]
Clinical manifestations:
- increased muscle tone that varies irregularly in a manner that may seem related to the degree of relaxation or in opposite direction to the examiner.
- it is present throughout the range of motion & affects flexors & extensors equally
- it may be described as increased rigidity with passive range of movement [2]
- described as increasing rigidity in the upper extremities in response to more rapid passive movement [2]
Differential diagnosis:
- rigidity of Parkinson's disease is more uniform to passive movement & present at onset of movement [2]
Related
muscle tone
General
sign/symptom
References
- Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 14th ed.
Fauci et al (eds), McGraw-Hill Inc. NY, 1998, pg 107
- Geriatric Review Syllabus, 7th edition
Parada JT et al (eds)
American Geriatrics Society, 2010
- Geriatric Review Syllabus, 8th edition (GRS8)
Durso SC and Sullivan GN (eds)
American Geriatrics Society, 2013