title: Sensitivity to curare in patients with upper and lower motor neurone dysfunction.
abstract: Sensitivity to the action of nondepolarising relaxants was compared in muscles of upper and lower limbs in four syringomyelic patients undergoing elective neurosurgical procedures. It was observed that muscles with signs of lower motor neurone dysfunction are supersensitive to the action of nondepolarising relaxants. Terminal sprouting of motor axons and the occurrence of newly formed neuromuscular junctions may be responsible for a low synaptic efficacy and may explain the high sensitivity to factors that reduce the safety margin of neuromuscular transmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroanaesthesia and Intensive Care, Istituto Neurologico C. Besta, Milano, Italia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fiacchino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gemma
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bricchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giombini
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Regi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects; D003473:Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents; D013595:Syringomyelia / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003473:Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents