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Information about Neuromyotonia

Neuromyotonia is spontaneous muscular activity resulting from repetitive
motor unit action potentials of peripheral origin. It develops as a result
of both acquired or hereditary diseases. Acquired form is more frequent and
is usually caused by antibodies against neuromuscular junction.

Autoreactive antibodies can be detected in a variety of peripheral (e.g.
myasthenia gravis, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome) and central nervous
system (e.g. cerebellar ataxia, paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis)
disorders. Their causative role has been established in some of these
diseases but not all. Neuromyotonia is considered to be one of these with
accumulating evidence for autoimmune origin over the last few years. Some
neuromyotonia cases do not only improve after plasma exchange but they may
also have antibodies in their serum samples against voltage-gated potassium
channels. Moreover, these antibodies have been demonstrated to reduce
potassium channel function in neuronal cell lines.

As a result of muscular hyperactivity patients may present with muscle
cramps, myotonia like symptoms, excessive sweating, myokimia and
fasciculations. A very small proportion of cases with neuromyotonia may
develop central nervous system findings in their clinical course, causing a
disorder called Morvan's syndrome and they may also have antibodies against
potassium channels in their serum samples. Sleep disorder is only one of a
variety of clinical conditions observed in Morvan's syndrome cases ranging
from confusion and memory loss to hallucinations and delusions.

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