Clonic contractions involve which physiologic pattern?

Clonic contractions involve which physiologic pattern?

• A. Alternating contraction and relaxation
• B. Sustained rigid contraction
• C. Single phasic contraction
• D. No contraction

Answer: (A)

Clonic contractions are defined by rapid, repeated muscle contractions that alternate with brief periods of relaxation. This creates the jerky, oscillating pattern of tightening and letting go, rather than a sustained squeeze. This is different from a tonic contraction, where the muscle stays steadily contracted without relaxation. A single phasic contraction would be just one brief twitch, not a repeating cycle, and no contraction means the muscle remains relaxed.

Clonic contractions are defined by rapid, repeated muscle contractions that alternate with brief periods of relaxation. This creates the jerky, oscillating pattern of tightening and letting go, rather than a sustained squeeze. This is different from a tonic contraction, where the muscle stays steadily contracted without relaxation. A single phasic contraction would be just one brief twitch, not a repeating cycle, and no contraction means the muscle remains relaxed.