Sign or Symptom
muscle rigidity
[ muhs-uhl rij-id-it-tee ]
Subclass of:
Muscle Hypertonia; Myopathy
Definitions related to muscle rigidity:
  • Continuous involuntary sustained muscle contraction which is often a manifestation of BASAL GANGLIA DISEASES. When an affected muscle is passively stretched, the degree of resistance remains constant regardless of the rate at which the muscle is stretched. This feature helps to distinguish rigidity from MUSCLE SPASTICITY. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p73)
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
  • Motor impairment whereby the hypertonic state is charcterized by bidirectional increased resistance to passive movement.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • State in which the muscles remain immovable; seen in schizophrenia.
    Sadock's Comprehensive Glossary of Psychiatry and Psychology
    BJ Sadock Titles Press, 2012
  • (muscular rigidity) An involuntary, persistent state of firm, tense muscles with marked resistance to passive movement.
    NCI Thesaurus
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.