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What Causes Temporary Loss Of Muscle Control In Upper Half Of The Body?
Question: not recently, but 6-8 times in the past: complete loss of all muscle control EITHER in the upper half of the body OR in the lower half of the body. Temporary, lasting about 30 minutes or less. Very scary. Loss control of the bladder one time. Have no idea of the cause or the prognosis. has not happened in over 8 years now.
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
I must say as a neurologist though I am a little puzzled. That is because anatomically speaking that presentation doesn't make much sense. There are conditions which manifest with muscle paralysis in the lower body (although not with such fluctuations), but not in the upper half of the body sparing the lower one. That is because the fibers come all together from the brain downwards to the spinal cord, a lesion anywhere along these pathways if interrupting fibers to the upper body would interrupt fibers to the lower one as well.
There are a couple of exceptions, a syndrome called man in the barrel, due to lack of brain blood perfusion in a certain area, but that still doesn't explain the alternating episodes, the ones with weakness in the lower body.
So hard to pinpoint a brain or spinal cord lesion really, hard to even recommend some imaging exam as wouldn't know which segment of the spinal cord to investigate or the brain, as no lesion would explain such alternating episodes.
There is also the possibility of some metabolic disorder, such as periodic paralysis, most often due to fluctuations of the potassium levels. However they generally include all the body not only half. Also since you are well now the blood tests would turn out normal.
I wonder also whether these episodes are related to falling or waking up from sleep. That would raise the possibility of a sleep disorder called sleep paralysis during which patient is conscious, however again it includes all body generally.
So more than anything for the lack of a better explanation, I would say anxiety might be a likely explanation as it often can mimic neurological symptoms, paralysis included.
While generally for a prognosis one would have to identify a cause which as I am trying to explain is hard, considering the fact it hasn't happened in 8 years I would say the prognosis is definitely good as a threatening condition would have evolved in the meantime.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
I must say as a neurologist though I am a little puzzled. That is because anatomically speaking that presentation doesn't make much sense. There are conditions which manifest with muscle paralysis in the lower body (although not with such fluctuations), but not in the upper half of the body sparing the lower one. That is because the fibers come all together from the brain downwards to the spinal cord, a lesion anywhere along these pathways if interrupting fibers to the upper body would interrupt fibers to the lower one as well.
There are a couple of exceptions, a syndrome called man in the barrel, due to lack of brain blood perfusion in a certain area, but that still doesn't explain the alternating episodes, the ones with weakness in the lower body.
So hard to pinpoint a brain or spinal cord lesion really, hard to even recommend some imaging exam as wouldn't know which segment of the spinal cord to investigate or the brain, as no lesion would explain such alternating episodes.
There is also the possibility of some metabolic disorder, such as periodic paralysis, most often due to fluctuations of the potassium levels. However they generally include all the body not only half. Also since you are well now the blood tests would turn out normal.
I wonder also whether these episodes are related to falling or waking up from sleep. That would raise the possibility of a sleep disorder called sleep paralysis during which patient is conscious, however again it includes all body generally.
So more than anything for the lack of a better explanation, I would say anxiety might be a likely explanation as it often can mimic neurological symptoms, paralysis included.
While generally for a prognosis one would have to identify a cause which as I am trying to explain is hard, considering the fact it hasn't happened in 8 years I would say the prognosis is definitely good as a threatening condition would have evolved in the meantime.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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