Spinal myoclonus

What it means

Spinal myoclonus is generally due to a tumor, infection, injury, or degenerative process of the spinal cord, and is characterized by involuntary rhythmic muscle contractions, usually at a rate of more than one per second. Myoclonus occurs synchronously in several muscles and can be increased in severity and frequency by fatigue or stress, but is usually unaffected by sensory stimuli. Spinal myoclonus ceases during sleep or anesthesia.

Rare diseases that can present with this1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category