Paresis

Not to be confused with Paruresis.

This article is about the physical malady. For the mental disorder, see general paresis of the insane.

Paresis is a condition typified by a weakness of voluntary movement, or partial loss of voluntary movement or by impaired movement. When used without qualifiers, it usually refers to the limbs, but it can also be used to describe the muscles of the eyes (ophthalmoparesis), the stomach (gastroparesis), and also the vocal cords (Vocal cord paresis). Neurologists use the term paresis to describe weakness, and plegia to describe paralysis in which all voluntary movement is lost. The term paresis comes from the Ancient Greek: πάρεσις "letting go" or "paralysis" from παρίημι "to let go, to let fall".

Types

Limbs

Monoparesis — One leg or one arm
Paraparesis — Both legs
Hemiparesis — One arm and one leg on either side of the body
Tetraparesis/Quadriparesis — All four limbs

These terms frequently refer to the impairment of motion in multiple sclerosis.^[1]

Other

Gastroparesis – impaired stomach emptying
A form of ophthalmoplegia
Spastic paresis – exaggerated tendon reflexes and muscle hypertonia^[2]
In the past, the term was most commonly used to refer to "general paresis", which was a symptom of untreated syphilis.^[1] However, due to improvements in treatment of syphilis, it is now rarely used in this context.

References

1 2 MedlinePlus Encyclopedia 000748
↑ Young, Robert (2000). "Chapter 15: Spastic Paresis". In Burks, Jack. Multiple Sclerosis - Diagnosis, Medical Management and Rehabilitation. Demos Medical Publishing, Inc. p. 299. ISBN 1-888799-35-8.

External links

Cerebral palsy and other syndromes (G80–G83, 342–344)

Paresis and plegia NOS	Paralysis Quadriplegia Triplegia Hemiplegia/Hemiparesis Paraplegia/Diplegia Monoplegia

Flaccidity vs. spasticity	Upper motor neuron lesion: Pseudobulbar palsy Spastic diplegia Spastic paraplegia Hereditary spastic paraplegia Lower motor neuron lesion: Bulbar palsy Flaccid paralysis

Specific types	Cerebral palsy Cauda equina syndrome Locked-in syndrome

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