What does chorea movement look like?

Chorea is a movement disorder that causes involuntary, irregular, unpredictable muscle movements. The disorder can make you look like you’re dancing (the word chorea comes from the Greek word for “dance”) or look restless or fidgety. Chorea is a movement problem that occurs in many different diseases and conditions.

Is chorea distal or proximal?

Chorea involves both proximal and distal muscles. In most patients, normal tone is noted, but, in some instances, hypotonia is present. In a busy movement disorder center, levodopa-induced chorea is the most common movement disorder, followed by Huntington disease (HD).

What is the difference between chorea and dystonia?

Dystonia is a movement disorder in which involuntary sustained or intermittent muscle contractions cause twisting and repetitive movements, abnormal postures, or both. Chorea is an ongoing random-appearing sequence of one or more discrete involuntary movements or movement fragments.

What are the different types of chorea?

Vascular.

  • Autoimmune or inflammatory disorders. Sydenham chorea. Paraneoplastic chorea. Other immune-mediated choreas.
  • Metabolic and endocrine disorders. Chorea gravidarum. Other metabolic or endocrine disturbances.
  • Infectious diseases.
  • Toxin exposure.
  • Drug-induced chorea.
  • Structural lesion in basal ganglia.
  • Senile chorea.

    • What does mild chorea look like?

    In milder cases, chorea may appear purposeful. The patient often appears fidgety and clumsy. Overall, chorea can affect various body parts, and interfere with speech, swallowing, posture and gait, and disappears in sleep.

    What causes constant finger movement?

    Many cases are the result of stress, anxiety, or muscle strain. Finger twitching and muscle spasms may be more prevalent now than ever because texting and gaming are such popular activities. While most cases finger twitching is mild, some instances may be an indication of a serious nerve condition or movement disorder.

    Where is the lesion in chorea?

    A tumor or an infarct in the striatum (caudate or putamen) can cause acute unilateral chorea (hemichorea) on the opposite side of the body. Sydenham chorea and chorea due to infarcts of the caudate nucleus often lessen over time without treatment.

    How would you describe chorea?

    Chorea is an abnormal involuntary movement derived from the Greek word “dance”. It is characterized by brief, abrupt, irregular, unpredictable, non-stereotyped movements. In milder cases, chorea may appear purposeful. The patient often appears fidgety and clumsy.

    Is chorea a neurological disease?

    Chorea is an abnormal involuntary movement disorder, one of a group of neurological disorders called dyskinesias, which are caused by overactivity of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the areas of the brain that control movement.

    What triggers chorea?

    Definition. Chorea is an abnormal involuntary movement disorder, one of a group of neurological disorders called dyskinesias, which are caused by overactivity of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the areas of the brain that control movement.

    Can you have chorea without Huntington’s?

    While patients with these disorders comprise a relatively small number of cases with chorea, molecular diagnosis is essential for genetic counseling and prediction of disease course. Despite recent advances, a large percentage, 90% in some studies, of patients with HD phenocopies remain undiagnosed.

    How many types of movement patterns can you have with chorea?

    You can have a number of movement patterns with chorea. While chorea can manifest with a variety of physical motions, you may notice that you specifically have only a few types of movements and that it typically affects only certain parts of your body.

    What is the pathophysiology of chorea?

    Chorea can occur when there is a structural or functional problem with the basal ganglia and the thalamus, which are areas of the brain that control movement. The cause can be related to dysfunction of the neurotransmitters in these regions of the brain, especially dopamine, or to a structural issue.

    Can chorea movements be masked or hidden?

    The movements can also be masked or hidden when they are combined with normal voluntary movements. Patients with chorea will sometimes become clumsy or drop objects repeatedly, and chorea can lead to falling when it affects walking.

    What are choreic movements?

    They are often described as seeming to “flow” from one body part to another unpredictably, though they can also be confined to a single area of the body (such as the mouth area or hands). Choreic movements can often look like restlessness or fidgeting to those not familiar with them.