Reticular Reflex Myoclonus

The following sections about reticular reflex myoclonus was excerpted from Eplilesy textbook on 2013/02/16
Reticular reflex myoclonus originates in a hyperexcitable caudal brainstem reticular formation, giving rise to a widespread pattern of muscle activation with proximal and flexor predominance, spontaneous or induced by various stimuli. The impulses may travel up the brainstem. Reticular reflex myoclonus may be present simultaneously with cortical myoclonus.
Reticular reflex myoclonus is not time-locked to EEG discharges, and the sensory evoked potentials are not enhanced. Myoclonus is triggered by stimuli, but the temporal relationship is variable between the stimuli and the myoclonus, whereas it is constant in patients with cortical reflex myoclonus. The EMG discharges start in the areas of lower cranial nerves (sternocleidomastoid muscle, trapezius muscle). They go up to the facial muscles, down to the upper limbs, then to lower limbs. Therefore, it was speculated that the stimuli excited the reticular formation and that abnormal electrical activity then spread from it to the upper brainstem and the spinal cord.