title: Familial nocturnal cramping.
abstract: A familial syndrome of painful nocturnal cramping and jerking in members of three generations is described. All-night polysomnograms demonstrated both myoclonic jerks and sustained muscular activity in three family members, a 4-year-old girl, who presented with frequent episodes of painful awakenings; her 7-year-old brother, who had similar but less severe symptoms; and the 28-year-old mother, who had suffered nocturnal cramping and awakenings for much of her life. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first description of a familial disorder characterized by exclusively nocturnal intermittent cramping and myoclonus of brainstem or spinal origin.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002998:Clonazepam / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009120:Muscle Cramp / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D009207:Myoclonus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D009407:Nerve Block; D010375:Pedigree; D010543:Peroneal Nerve / Q000187:drug effects; D011343:Procaine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000187:drug effects; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D011343:Procaine; D002998:Clonazepam