Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1974 May;37(5):548–558. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.37.5.548

Evidence for reversible motoneurone dysfunction in thyrotoxicosis

A J McComas 1,2, R E P Sica 1,2, A R McNabb 1,2, W M Goldberg 1,2, A R M Upton 1,2
PMCID: PMC494699  PMID: 4836749

Abstract

Motor unit estimating techniques have been employed as part of a comprehensive electrophysiological survey of peripheral nerve and muscle in 20 patients with thyrotoxicosis. In all patients there was evidence of a loss of operational motor units; the selective nature of this involvement suggested that the motoneurone soma was the site of the primary lesion. The reversible nature of the postulated motoneurone dysfunction was demonstrated by the increased motor unit counts in six patients who were studied again after treatment of their thyrotoxicosis.

Full text

PDF
548

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BIRKET-SMITH E., DE OLIVARIUS B F. Polyradiculo-myopathia in transient thyrotoxicosis. Dan Med Bull. 1957 Oct;4(7):217–219. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BRONSKY D., KAGANIEC G. I., WALDSTEIN S. S. AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE GUILLAIN-BARR'E SYNDROME AND HYPERTHYROIDISM. Am J Med Sci. 1964 Feb;247:196–200. doi: 10.1097/00000441-196402000-00009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Brown W. F. A method for estimating the number of motor units in thenar muscles and the changes in motor unit count with ageing. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1972 Dec;35(6):845–852. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.35.6.845. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. CAVANAGH J. B. PERIPHERAL NERVE CHANGES IN ORTHO-CRESYL PHOSPHATE POISONING IN THE CAT. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1964 Apr;87:365–383. doi: 10.1002/path.1700870217. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Campbell M. J., McComas A. J., Petito F. Physiological changes in ageing muscles. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1973 Apr;36(2):174–182. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.36.2.174. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cass D. T., Sutton T. J., Mark R. F. Competition between nerves for functional connexions with axolotl muscles. Nature. 1973 May 25;243(5404):201–203. doi: 10.1038/243201a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Engel A. G. Neuromuscular manifestations of Graves' disease. Mayo Clin Proc. 1972 Dec;47(12):919–925. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HAVARD C. W., CAMPBELL E. D., ROSS H. B., SPENCE A. W. Electromyographic and histological findings in the muscles of patients with thyrotoxicosis. Q J Med. 1963 Apr;32:145–163. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hofmann W. W., Denys E. H. Effects of thyroid hormone at the neuromuscular junction. Am J Physiol. 1972 Aug;223(2):283–287. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1972.223.2.283. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. LAMBERT E. H., UNDERDAHL L. O., BECKETT S., MEDEROS L. O. A study of the ankle jerk in myxedema. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1951 Oct;11(10):1186–1205. doi: 10.1210/jcem-11-10-1186. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Ludin H. P., Spiess H., Koenig M. P. Neuromuscular dysfunction associated with thyrotoxicosis. Eur Neurol. 1969;2(5):269–278. doi: 10.1159/000113803. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Marsden C. D., Meadows J. C. The effect of adrenaline on the contraction of human muscle. J Physiol. 1970 Apr;207(2):429–448. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1970.sp009071. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. McComas A. J., Campbell M. J., Sica R. E. Electrophysiological study of dystrophia myotonica. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1971 Apr;34(2):132–139. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. McComas A. J., Fawcett P. R., Campbell M. J., Sica R. E. Electrophysiological estimation of the number of motor units within a human muscle. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1971 Apr;34(2):121–131. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.34.2.121. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. McComas A. J., Sica R. E., Brown J. C. Myasthenia gravis: evidence for a "central" defect. J Neurol Sci. 1971 May;13(1):107–113. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(71)90210-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. McComas A. J., Sica R. E., Campbell M. J. "Sick" motoneurones. A unifying concept of muscle disease. Lancet. 1971 Feb 13;1(7694):321–326. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(71)91045-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. McComas A. J., Sica R. E., McNabb A. R., Goldberg W. M., Upton A. R. Neuropathy in thyrotoxicosis. N Engl J Med. 1973 Jul 26;289(4):219–220. doi: 10.1056/nejm197307262890420. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Ramsay I. D. Muscle dysfunction in hyperthyroidism. Lancet. 1966 Oct 29;2(7470):931–934. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(66)90536-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. SANDERSON K. V., ADEY W. R. Electromyographic and endocrine studies in chronic thyrotoxic myopathy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1952 Aug;15(3):200–205. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.15.3.200. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. SCHWARZ G. A., ROSE E. NEUROMYOPATHIES AND THYROID DYSFUNCTION. SOME UNUSUAL ASSOCIATIONS. Arch Intern Med. 1963 Oct;112:555–568. doi: 10.1001/archinte.1963.03860040151014. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Sica R. E., Aguilera N. Electrophysiological studies in hipokalemic periodic paralysis. Medicina (B Aires) 1972 Mar-Apr;32(2):93–99. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Sica R. E., McComas A. J. Fast and slow twitch units in a human muscle. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1971 Apr;34(2):113–120. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.34.2.113. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sica R. E., McComas A. J., Upton A. R., Longmire D. Motor unit estimations in small muscles of the hand. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1974 Jan;37(1):55–67. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.37.1.55. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Takamori M., Gutmann L., Shane S. R. Contractile properties of human skeletal muscle. Normal and thyroid disease. Arch Neurol. 1971 Dec;25(6):535–546. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1971.00490060069007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. WHITFIELD A. G., HUDSON W. A. Chronic thyrotoxic myopathy. Q J Med. 1961 Jul;30:257–267. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES