The origin of fasciculations in motoneuron disease.
The collision technique was used to determine the origin of distal fasciculations in 25 motor units from 9 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 6 with other diseases involving motoneurons. Fasciculations originated in the nerve proximal to the knee or elbow in 15 and distally in 2; multiple sites of origin were found in 8 motor units. The origin was not related to the presence or absence of electromyographic evidence for collateral sprouting or lesions in descending suprasegmental pathways.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000150:complications; D004576:Electromyography; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005207:Fasciculation / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D009431:Neural Conduction; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D013577:Syndrome