paratonia (gegenhalten)

Etiology

• frontal lobe disease (dementia)
  • middle to late stage Alzheimer's disease
  • Lewy body dementia

Clinical manifestations

• increased muscle tone that varies irregularly in a manner that may seem related to the degree of relaxation or in opposite direction to the examiner.
• it is present throughout the range of motion & affects flexors & extensors equally
• it may be described as increased rigidity with passive range of movement
• described as increasing rigidity in the upper extremities in response to more rapid passive movement

Differential diagnosis

• rigidity of Parkinson's disease is more uniform to passive movement & present at onset of movement

More general terms

• sign/symptom

Additional terms

• muscle tone