Exercise Intolerance and Muscle Contracture

by Georges Serratrice, Jean Pouget, Jean-Philippe Azulay

Overview

The main themes presented in this volume are exercise intolerance and muscle contracture. These two topics could seem different at first sight but share common clinical features. For instance, symptoms of exercise intolerance are myalgias and cramps but metabolic contractures as well. Likewise exercise intolerance is sometimes due to dystrophinopathy, it­ self causing contractures. Therefore, it is justified to gather these two syn­ dromes in one study. Exercise intolerance and muscle contracture could seem well­ known, even obsolete. It is not right. A reappraisal of these has be­ come necessary for two reasons. First of all there are many new causes of exercise intolerance; secondly, the pathophysiology remains ob­ scure in particular for muscle contracture and a clear classification is probably possible. There is no book devoted to exercise intolerance and muscle contrac­ ture. This volume is divided in two parts related to the above topics. The two sections are introduced by a didactic and general overview, describ­ ing the main symptoms, classification and classical etiology. The other chapters, written by the best experts, present the recent advances in these syndromes and show many new aspects: new glycogenosis or mihondriopathies, dystrophinopathies, malignant hyperthermia, my­ otonic disorders. Pathophysiology and classification of persistent con­ tractures are described as well as therapy. Each chapter is thoroughly referenced, representing important progress in research in the field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9782287596698
Publisher:	Springer Paris
Publication date:	08/13/1999
Edition description:	1999
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.02(d)

Table of Contents

Part 1: Exercise Intolerance .... Part 2: 1. Reconciling language differences in describing states of muscle shortening: muscle contracture and related conditions. 2. Physiology and clinical classification. 3. Pathological aspects of muscle contracture. 4. The enigma of muscle contractures. 5. Contractures in Emery-Dreufuss syndrome. 6. Arthrogrypopsis and spinal muscular atrophy. 7. Contractures and congenital muscular dystrophy: new date. 8. Therapy of muscle contractures.

Editorial Reviews

This is a review of several diagnoses that have a clinical presentation of exercise intolerance and muscle contracture. The intent is to present recent advances made in these areas and create unity within the field by classifying the various diagnoses that lead to these conditions. Symptoms and etiology of several diseases associated with exercise intolerance and muscle contractures are discussed. I agree with the editors' assessment that this book will benefit practitioners from several medical disciplines including neurology, internal medicine, rheumatology, pathology, biochemistry, physiotherapy, and all others interested in research of neuromuscular disease. Numerous disorders of the nervous and muscular systems that primarily or secondarily manifest as exercise intolerance and muscle contracture are covered. Included are conditions that have been the source of some controversy, such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Preceding the chapters on muscle contracture, the editors do a nice job of pointing out the disparity within the field regarding the nomenclature associated with the condition and go on to define the terms used in the subsequent chapters. Also, readers are consistently reminded of the significant psychosocial impact each of the conditions has on those affected, which must be considered when treating patients and their families. I find this book to be an exceptional resource of review of the current slate of understanding about diseases that limit the ability to exercise and/or lead to muscle contracture. However, the chapter on therapeutic management of muscle contracture, which I am the most familiar with, seemed vague with respect to protocols forbracing and offered no new insight into the treatment of the condition.

David Hudson