We describe a 54-year-old man with myasthenia gravis, thymoma, systemic muscle twitch particularly of both lower limbs, hyperhidrosis and lower limb pain. The muscle twitch resembled to fasciculation rather than to myokymia and was persistent after discontinuation of anti-acetylcholinesterase drug. No attenuation nor disappearance of the muscle twitch was educed by spinal anesthesia. However, i...

A 9-year-old female developed bilateral leg weakness on the same day she received an influenza vaccination. Her condition had gradually worsened during the 5 months prior to her presentation. She had no family history of hereditary disease. Physical examination revealed muscle atrophy without fasciculation in all four limbs. Muscle power in the proximal and distal limbs was 3 of 5, and the deep...

Fasciculations are symptoms present in a broad spectrum of conditions, ranging from normal manifestations to motor neuron diseases. They also represent the main picture of benign fasciculation syndrome. We report a case of such syndrome: a 48-years-old woman complaining about fasciculations for three decades who remained with the symptoms even after the compensation of a disclosed hyperthyroidi...

We have isolated and characterized mutations in Drosophila neurotactin, a gene that encodes a cell adhesion protein widely expressed during neural development. Analysis of both loss and gain of gene function conditions during embryonic and postembryonic development revealed specific requirements for neurotactin during axon outgrowth, fasciculation, and guidance. Furthermore, embryos of some dou...

Injection of a thiopentone-suxamethonium mixture is a safe method for rapid intubation in cases where the risk of regurgitation is high. It shortens the period between the onset of unconsciousness and endotracheal intubation. With the technique described the likelihood of awareness of fasciculations is very small. It forms a useful addition to the techniques available for dealing with a patient...

The insect cell adhesion receptor fasciclin II is expressed by specific subsets of neural and non-neural cells during embryogenesis and has been shown to control growth cone motility and axonal fasciculation. Here we demonstrate a role for fasciclin II in the guidance of migratory neurons. In the developing enteric nervous system of the moth Manduca sexta, an identified set of neurons (the EP c...

Receptor tyrosine phosphatases (RPTPs) are required for axon guidance during embryonic development in Drosophila. Here we examine the roles of four RPTPs during development of the larval mushroom body (MB). MB neurons extend axons into parallel tracts known as the peduncle and lobes. The temporal order of neuronal birth is reflected in the organization of axons within these tracts. Axons of the...

Nogo receptor (NgR) is common in myelin-derived molecules, i.e., Nogo, MAG, and OMgp, and plays important roles in both axon fasciculation and the inhibition of axonal regeneration. In contrast to NgR's roles in neurons, its roles in glial cells have been poorly explored. Here, we found a dynamic regulation of NgR1 expression during development and neuronal injury. NgR1 mRNA was consistently ex...

Monoclonal antibodies have been generated that bind to subsets of neurons within the leech central nervous system (Zipser, B., and R. McKay (1981) Nature 289: 549-554). In this report we describe the binding patterns of monoclonal antibodies to subsets of axons in the leech using HRP-immunohistochemistry. Each antibody has a characteristic staining pattern in the connective, the large bundle of...