paratonia
Pronunciation: pair-ah-TOH-nee-ah
Abnormal muscle resistance that varies unpredictably during passive movement examination.
Full Definition
A motor abnormality characterized by variable, unpredictable resistance during passive manipulation of limbs, also known as gegenhalten or oppositional hypertonia. Unlike true rigidity or spasticity, paratonia represents the patient's inability to relax voluntarily during examination, resulting in intermittent resistance that may increase when the patient is asked to relax. This phenomenon is commonly observed in dementia, particularly frontal lobe dysfunction, and represents a form of motor perseveration or utilization behavior. Paratonia can significantly complicate neurological examination and may be mistaken for other movement disorders. The resistance typically decreases when the patient is distracted or during sleep.
Usage
Usage note: Also called gegenhalten; distinguish from true rigidity or spasticity which have consistent resistance patterns.
In Context
- "The dementia patient exhibited paratonia during limb examination, making assessment of true rigidity difficult." — Movement disorder evaluation
- "Paratonia improved when the examiner distracted the patient during passive range of motion testing." — Neurological examination note