hypertonus

Thân thiện

A doctor checks a patient's hypertonus in their forearm.

Definition

Noun (Medical/Physiological term): A condition of excessive tone, tension, or activity, particularly in muscular tissue. It describes a state of abnormally high muscle tension or rigidity at rest.

Usage

"Hypertonus" is a technical term used primarily in medical, physiological, and therapeutic contexts to describe increased muscular tone. It is the opposite of "hypotonus" (low muscle tone).

Examples

• The neurologist diagnosed the patient with hypertonus in the upper limbs following the stroke.
• Physical therapy can help manage the pain and stiffness caused by muscular hypertonus.
• Spasticity is a specific type of velocity-dependent hypertonus.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical Assessment: The degree of hypertonus is often assessed by a clinician passively moving a patient's limb and feeling the resistance.
• Pathological Context: Hypertonus is a common feature in upper motor neuron lesions, such as those seen in cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, or after a spinal cord injury.

Variants and Related Words

• Hypertonia (n): Often used interchangeably with "hypertonus" to describe increased muscle tone.
• Hypertonic (adj): 1. (Physiology) Having a higher osmotic pressure than a particular fluid. 2. (Muscle) Being in a state of hypertonus.
• Spasticity (n): A specific clinical manifestation of hypertonus characterized by increased, velocity-dependent muscle stretch reflexes.
• Rigidity (n): Another form of hypertonus where muscle resistance is constant throughout the range of motion, often associated with Parkinson's disease.

Synonyms

• Increased muscle tone
• Muscle rigidity (in specific contexts)
• Hypertonia

Antonyms

• Hypotonia
• Hypotonus
• Decreased muscle tone
• Flaccidity

Học thuật

Noun

1. (of muscular tissue) the state of being hypertonic

Từ đồng nghĩa

• hypertonia
• hypertonicity