Monoplegia is a circumscribed paralysis, as of one limb, or on one side of the face, one group of muscles or a single muscle. It may be due to cerebral, spinal or nervous lesion. Cerebral monoplegias are distinguished by: 1st, initial spasm; 2nd, absence of anæsthesia; 3d, persistence of nutrition; 4th, paralysis greatest in the distal portion of the member.
Localized Paralysis is usually due to lesion of a nerve, and is both motor and sensory. If due to a spinal lesion it usually affects one or more groups of muscles. In case the lesion is in the nerve, be guided, in investigating it, by Van der Kolk’s law, that the sensory fibres are usually distributed in the skin corresponding to the muscles which receive the motor fibres.
Pseudo-paralysis occurs from muscular disease, injury, inflammation or degeneration and has no appreciable central nor nervous lesion nor anæsthesia.
Spasm (Hyperkinesis); abnormal violent muscular contractions with or without loss of consciousness.
Tonic (tetanic) Spasm is violent and continuous.
Clonic Spasm is rapidly intermittent:—Contractions and relaxations.
Tremor (trembling) consists in small, intermittent, involuntary contractions.
Hemispasm affects the face, or limbs, or both, on one side of the body and may precede hemiplegia.
Monospasm affects one limb, one group of muscles or a single muscle. It may be due to lesion of the brain, of the spinal cord or of the nerves. Thus it may imply commencing disease of the motor centres or tracts.
Spasms of the Eyeballs (rolling of globe to one side), and Spasms of the Eyeballs and Head, are important indications of apoplexy. They imply disorder (commencing irritation) of the cerebral motor areas. Advanced disease would probably determine hebetude, coma, drowsiness, or palsy. If epileptiform it turns away from the lesion. If hemiplegic it turns toward the lesion and away from the paralysis. If lesion of the pons it turns away from the lesion.