Definition

Adjective: Relating to or characterized by clonus, which is a series of involuntary, rapid, alternating muscular contractions and relaxations.

Usage

The adjective "clonic" is used almost exclusively in medical and neurological contexts to describe a specific type of abnormal muscle movement or spasm. It modifies nouns like "movement," "spasm," "seizure," or "activity."

Examples

• The patient exhibited clonic movements in the right arm following the stroke.
• A tonic-clonic seizure involves both stiffening (tonic phase) and jerking (clonic phase) of the muscles.
• The clonic spasms were a symptom of the neurological disorder.

Advanced Usage

• Tonic-clonic: This is a compound term (formerly known as "grand mal") describing a major type of epileptic seizure with two distinct phases: a tonic (stiffening) phase followed by a clonic (rhythmic jerking) phase.
  • Example: She was diagnosed with tonic-clonic epilepsy.

Variants and Related Words

• Clonus (noun): The condition or phenomenon itself, defined as a series of involuntary, rhythmic, muscular contractions and relaxations.
  • Example: The doctor tested for ankle clonus by quickly dorsiflexing the foot.

Synonyms

• Jerking (in a medical descriptive sense)
• Rhythmic spasticity

Antonyms

• Tonic (referring to sustained muscular contraction)
• Atonic (referring to loss of muscle tone)

Notes on Meaning

The core meaning of "clonic" is specifically tied to the rapid, alternating pattern of muscle activity. It is not a general term for any twitch or spasm but describes this particular rhythmic, jerking quality.

Adjective

1. of or relating to abnormal neuromuscular activity characterized by rapidly alternating muscle contraction and relaxation
   • clonic spasm