Summary
A nationwide two-phase survey was carried out of the adult population of the Netherlands regarding fasciculation, muscle pain and muscle cramp. We conducted a population-based telephone interview with 780 Dutch adults, followed by a questionnaire covering more clinical details, filled out by 311 subjects, who had been interviewed by telephone previously. From these data the frequencies of fasciculation (men 50%, women 61%), muscle cramp (men 28%, women 42%) and muscle pain (men 48%, women 60%) in the Dutch adult population in 1988 were estimated. The combined occurrence of frequent fasciculation and frequent muscle cramp as well as of frequent fasciculation and frequent muscle pain was reported only sporadically. Although the muscular painfasciculation syndrome and the muscular cramp-fasciculation syndrome represent combinations of common neuromuscular phenomena, their occurrence in the general population proved to be rare. This finding supports their clinical identity as distinct motor unit hyperactivity syndromes rather than mere coincidences of fasciculation, muscle cramp and muscle pain.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Denny-Brown D, Pennybacker JB (1938) Fibrillation and fasciculation in voluntary muscle. Brain 61:311–332
Denny-Brown D, Foley JM (1948) Myokymia and the benign fasciculation of muscular cramps. Trans Assoc Am Physicians 61:88–96
Fleet WS, Watson RT (1986) From benign fasciculations and cramps to motor neuron disease. Neurology 36:997–998
Hall AJ (1947) Cramp and salt balance in ordinary life. Lancet II:231–233
Hudson AJ, Brown WF, Gilbert JJ (1978) The muscular painfasciculation syndrome. Neurology 28:1105–1109
Layzer RB (1982) Diagnostic implications of clinical fasciculation and cramps. In: Rowland LP (ed) Human motor neuron diseases. Raven Press, New York, pp 3–29
Layzer RB, Rowland LP (1971) Cramps. N Engl J Med 285: 31–40
Layzer RB (1984) Muscle pain, cramps and fatigue. In: Engel AG, Banker BQ (eds) Myology. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp 1907–1913
Norris FH, Gasteiger EL, Chatfield EO (1957) An electromyographic study of induced and spontaneous muscle cramp. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 9:139–147
Paganini-Hill A, Ross RK (1982) Reliability of recall of drug usage and other health related information. Am J Epidemiol 116:114–122
Reed DM, Kurland LT (1963) Muscle fasciculations in a healthy population. Arch Neurol 9:363–367
Rowland LP (1985) Cramps, spasms and muscle stiffness. Rev Neurol (Paris) 141:261–273
Trojaborg W, Buchtal F (1965) Malignant and benign fasciculations. Acta Neurol (Scand) (Suppl 13) 41:251–254
Yunus MB (1989) Fibromyalgia syndrome: New research on an old malady. BMJ 298:474–475
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jansen, P.H.P., van Dijck, J.A.A.M., Verbeek, A.L.M. et al. Estimation of the frequency of the muscular pain-fasciculation syndrome and the muscular cramp-fasciculation syndrome in the adult population. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Nuerosci 241, 102–104 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02191150
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02191150