title: Prevalence and distribution of fasciculations in healthy adults: Effect of age, caffeine consumption and exercise.
abstract: Our objective was to determine the prevalence and distribution of fasciculations in healthy adults and to assess the effect of age, caffeine and exercise. Fasciculations were studied with ultrasonography in 58 healthy adults in various age categories. Questionnaires were used to determine effect of caffeine and regular exercise on the presence of fasciculations. Finally, we tested the effect of strenuous exercise on fasciculations in 10 healthy adults. Twenty-five subjects (43%) showed fasciculations on ultrasonography, mostly in the abductor hallucis longus muscle. Fasciculations were only sporadically encountered in muscle groups above the knee. Subjects with fasciculations were significantly older than those without. Caffeine and regular physical exercise did not influence the prevalence of fasciculations. However, strenuous physical exercise caused a temporary increase in fasciculations, but only in lower leg muscles. Fasciculations above the knee should raise suspicion and may warrant further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Neuromuscular Centre Nijmegen, Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jiske
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fermont
authors.forename: Ilse M P
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Arts
authors.forename: Sebastiaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Overeem
authors.forename: Bert U
authors.initials: BU
authors.lastname: Kleine
authors.forename: H Jurgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schelhaas
authors.forename: Machiel J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zwarts
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D001628:Beverages; D002110:Caffeine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015444:Exercise; D005207:Fasciculation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015995:Prevalence; D012016:Reference Values; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D002110:Caffeine