Fasciculation and focal loss of nerve accommodation in peripheral neuropathies

Abstract

Fasciculation of muscle and repetitive response of single motor units to brief electric stimuli in diffuse demyelinative and focal (compression) neuropathies are associated with localised loss of accommodation of motor nerve fibres. The pathogenesis of spontaneous and triggered repetitive firing of neurones is discussed and it is proposed that the discrete sites of abnormally low accommodation may be in regenerating (sprouting) neurones. An improved rapid method for measuring single fibre accommodation may be used to identify regenerating neurones.