Definition

Noun: 1. A state of increased muscle tone or stiffness, often with exaggerated reflexes, resulting in involuntary, jerky movements or spasms. This is a clinical term describing a specific type of motor disorder, often caused by damage to the nerve pathways within the brain or spinal cord that control voluntary movement.

Usage

Spasticity is a medical and clinical term. It is used to describe a specific physical condition, most commonly in the context of neurology, physical medicine, and rehabilitation. It is not typically used in everyday conversation.

Examples

• The patient's spasticity makes it difficult for him to extend his arm fully.
• After the stroke, she developed spasticity in her left leg.
• Treatment for cerebral palsy often focuses on managing muscle spasticity.
• The doctor assessed the degree of spasticity in the affected muscles.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical Assessment: In medical settings, spasticity is often graded on scales like the Modified Ashworth Scale to quantify the level of resistance to passive movement.
  • The physiotherapist used the Modified Ashworth Scale to measure the progression of the patient's spasticity.

Variants and Related Words

• Spastic (Adjective): Relating to or affected by spasticity.
  • The child has spastic cerebral palsy.
• Spasm (Noun): A sudden, involuntary muscular contraction. Spasticity is characterized by continuous or recurring spasms.
  • A painful muscle spasm.

Synonyms

• Hypertonia: A general term for abnormally increased muscle tension.
• Muscle stiffness: A more common, non-clinical term for a similar sensation, though it lacks the specific neurological implications of .
• Rigidity: In clinical terms, this can be a different type of increased muscle tone (often associated with Parkinson's disease) that is constant and not velocity-dependent like spasticity.

Antonyms

• Flaccidity: The state of being limp, soft, or lacking normal muscle tone.
• Hypotonia: Abnormally decreased muscle tone.

Noun

1. the quality of moving or acting in spasms