muscle wasting
Last reviewed 01/2018
Muscle wasting is the loss of muscle bulk due to:
- reduced neuronal stimulation of the muscle
- primary muscle disease:
- muscular dystrophy
- myopathy
- myositis
Reduced neuronal stimulation of the muscle may be due to:
- a lesion of the peripheral nerve or the neuromuscular junction:
- often referred to as a "lower motor neurone" lesion
- when there is a progressive lesion of a motor nerve, wasting only occurs when collateral sprouting from surviving neurones is not sufficient to preserve muscle function
- EMG will detect a motor unit potential abnormality
- disuse atrophy:
- often occurs around a painful joint
- EMG is usually normal
- parietal atrophy:
- due to stroke
- EMG is usually normal