Possible neurogenic factor in muscular dystrophy: its similarity to denervation atrophy

Study of sensitivity to curare in certain neurological disorders using a regional technique.

“…The inability to overcome the curare-induced neuromuscular transmission block in muscular dystrophy could be explained similarly by a latent prejunctional disturbance, reducing the spontaneous release of acetylcholine between active neuromuscular transmissions. This suggestion would be in keeping with the view that in muscular dystrophy the pathological changes in the muscle fibre are a consequence of disordered function in the motor unit (McComas et al, 1971;Gallup and Dubowitz, 1973;Dastur and Razzak, 1973). In mouse muscular dystrophy there is a reduction in the number of synaptic vescicles before any change can be found in the muscle fibre (Ragab, 1971).…”

Muscle Morphometry in Motor Neuron Disease

“…In MND patients mild 'myopathic' changes are a frequent finding, and have been reported to exist in 33-100y0 of cases (Mastaglia & Walton 1971;Dastur & Razzak, 1973;Achari & Anderson, 1974;Schwartz, Sargeant & Swash, 1976). In this study 'myopathic features' were found in 90% of cases.…”

The Neural Hypothesis of Muscular Dystrophy — A Review of Recent Experimental Evidence with particular reference to the Duchenne form

“…tentials (Buchthal and Rosenfalck, 1966) and increased durations of motor unit potentials (Desmedt and Borenstein, 1973) have also been found. Morphologically, clusters of muscle fibers belonging to the same histochemical fiber type have been demonstrated by Engel (1977) and grouped atrophy has been noted by Dastur and Razzak (1973). All six types of observation would normally be explained in terms of collateral reinnervation associated with a neuropathic process.…”