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Thermography by Specialty
Published in James Stewart Campbell, M. Nathaniel Mead, Human Medical Thermography, 2023
James Stewart Campbell, M. Nathaniel Mead
Myopathy refers to disorders with muscle weakness due to dysfunction of muscle fiber. Muscle cramps, stiffness, and muscle spasms can also occur. Pain is not a typical symptom of myopathy. Upon thermal imaging, flaccid myopathies with weakness and muscle disuse appear cool over the involved muscles, while muscular cramps or “tight” myopathies will appear warm due to the heat produced by prolonged, intense muscular contraction. This heat is conducted to overlying skin where it can be viewed thermographically (Figure 11.14). White blood cells and macrophages are generally absent in non-inflammatory myopathy, thus production of NO is not a major feature. The muscular dystrophies, mitochondrial myopathies, and glycogen storage diseases are non-inflammatory myopathies.64
Mineral-driven industrialisation of Africa
Published in Francis P. Gudyanga, Minerals in Africa, 2020
Acute exposure to mercury vapour has been shown to result in profound central nervous system effects, including psychotic reactions characterised by delirium, hallucinations and suicidal tendency. Occupational exposure has resulted in broad-ranging functional disturbance, including erethism, irritability, excitability, excessive shyness and insomnia. With continuing exposure, a fine tremor develops and may escalate to violent muscular spasms. Tremor initially involves the hands and later spreads to the eyelids, lips and tongue. Long-term, low-level exposure has been associated with more subtle symptoms of erethism, including fatigue, irritability, loss of memory, vivid dreams and depression.
Human Heat Illness and Prevention
Published in Ken Parsons, Human Heat Stress, 2019
Clinical features of heat cramps caused by water and/or salt are painful spasms of muscles used during work (arms, legs, or abdominal), onset during or after work hours. Predisposing factors include heavy sweating during hot work and drinking large volumes of water without replacing salt loss. Underlying physiological disturbances include loss of body salt in sweat, water intake diluting electrolytes, and water entering muscles causing spasm. Treatment is to provide salted liquids by mouth or more prompt relief by IV infusion. Prevention can be achieved by adequate salt intake with meals particularly in unacclimatized workers. Heat cramps are rarely found in acclimatized people. Hyponatremia occurs when drinking excess amount of water and can be fatal. At particular risk are long distance “fun runners,” who misinterpret advice to drink before and during a race.
New scale for assessing spasticity based on the pendulum test
Published in Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, 2022
Antonina Aleksić, Dejan B. Popović
Spasticity often follows a central nervous system lesion (spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, etc.). Spasticity comes from the imbalance of the neural communication between the central and peripheral nervous systems and results in involuntary muscle activation. This creates an inability to stretch muscles or coordinate movements effectively. Lance (1980) defined spasticity as a motor disorder characterized by a velocity-dependent increase in the tonic stretch reflexes (muscle tone) with exaggerated tendon jerks, resulting from hyperexcitability of the stretch reflexes as one component of the upper motor neuron (UMN) syndrome. Landau (1980) introduced the following definition of spasticity: (1) decreased dexterity, (2) loss of strength, (3) increased tendon jerks, (4) increased resistance to slower passive muscle stretch, and (5) hyperactive flexion reflexes (flexor spasms). Spasticity often results in pain and loss of mobility due to a muscle spasm (Mukherjee and Chakravarty 2010).
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among workers in an MDF furniture factory in eastern Thailand
Published in International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 2018
Anamai Thetkathuek, Parvena Meepradit
In order to minimize bending, the working posture should be adjusted according to the height of the front of the workstation. Stretching the muscles during breaks is encouraged to reduce extended muscle spasms. As well as administrative controls, such as worker rotation, greater task variety and increased rest should be provided for workers so as to reduce the risk factors for the development of MSDs. The results of this study show that the surfaces of working areas were too hard, and therefore floor standing areas should be improved by providing better footwear or anti-fatigue mats, which corresponds to the results from Gell et al. [38] showing a relationship between fatigue in the lower part of the body and the use of shoes and reducing the amount of standing required while working. The study by Gell et al. [38] suggests that standing on a carpet can reduce such fatigue.
Minimizing regain awareness time of the epileptic patient using a well-known phone ringtone
Published in Cogent Engineering, 2023
Seizures are classified into two types. Epileptic seizures are seizures that affect the entire brain. A focal seizure, also known as a partial seizure, affects only one section of the brain (Monteiro et al., 2019). Minor seizures might be hard to detect. It may only take a few seconds and you will be completely unaware of it (Thijs et al., 2019). Seizures that are much more serious might cause muscle spasms and involuntary twitches that can last from a few seconds to a few minutes (Lasefr et al., 2017). Following a more severe seizures, many patients get confused or lose consciousness (Cascino & Sirven, 2011).