Hypocalcemia increase nerve excitability?

[ivtekk]

After searching through the forums and online, it seems that this is due to the decrease in threshold potential. So I guess my real question is how exactly do low calcium levels decrease the threshold in order to achieve "hyper-excitability?" Is it true that sodium channels are less inhibited than normal?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[MedPR]

After searching through the forums and online, it seems that this is due to the decrease in threshold potential. So I guess my real question is how exactly do low calcium levels decrease the threshold in order to achieve "hyper-excitability?" Is it true that sodium channels are less inhibited than normal?

hypocalcemia = low calcium = cell pumps calcium out via sodium/calcium antiport = sodium into the cell = depolarization = action potential = all the other stuff you know about muscle contraction.