Dyskinesia is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary muscle spasms. There are five types, often caused by an underlying condition such as Parkinson’s disease or brain injury. Treatment focuses on the underlying cause and may include therapy, exercises, or surgery.
Dyskinesia is a type of neurological disorder characterized by involuntary muscle spasms or “tics”. There are five different types of this disorder, and in most cases, all are actually caused by a larger underlying condition. Sometimes people develop tics and tremors as a condition of their own, but it’s much more common for the spasms to be a sign of a different problem or a symptom of some sort of traumatic brain injury. The condition is usually not curable, but some therapeutic treatments can help patients control and reduce their tremors. However, a lot of that depends on the root cause. Treating a brain injury often requires a very different approach than treating a degenerative condition such as Parkinson’s disease.
Basic features
People with this disorder typically experience involuntary tremors or twitching in their muscles. It’s often most noticeable in the hands and face, but it can happen anywhere, including internally. Most people find that the condition starts out small and underreported, but becomes more noticeable with time. For example, a small twitch in the hand can develop into a violent arm tremor that lasts for several seconds. Those who suffer from advanced stages often have difficulty holding conversations and carrying out normal daily activities, but much depends on the type and evolution of the disorder.
Primary causes
In almost every case, these shakes are a symptom of something else. They are very commonly associated with Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis, for example, and are almost always a sign of brain chemistry problems. Some medications can also be a contributing cause. Different types of disorder often have more distinctive underlying causes, which can make an accurate diagnosis a key part of any treatment plan.
Late Types and Tremor
Tardive dyskinesia usually occurs in old age. It can be a side effect of some antipsychotic drugs, especially trifluoperazine, haloperidol, metoclopramide and fluphenazine. The disorder usually shows up on a patient’s face. Symptoms may include grimacing, chewing, abnormal tongue movement, and jaw swinging. Sometimes the condition becomes permanent, even if the affected person stops taking the medication that is causing it. The longer a person takes drugs of this type, the more likely they are to suffer this type of lasting damage.
Trembling types, on the other hand, usually present as tremors, usually in the legs, hands, head, trunk, or voice. This tremor is usually more noticeable when a person extends their limbs intentionally, such as to emphasize a point or to greet another person. This type often starts in a person’s dominant hand and steadily gets worse over time.
Dystonia and choria
In most cases, the main symptom of dystonia dyskinesia is involuntary muscle contractions. People with dystonia generally appear to twist and twist their limbs, moving them wildly. This disorder can be traced to an abnormal function in the cerebral cortex of the brain. It is often genetic.
Chorea dyskinesia, which gets its name from the Greek word for dance, is usually characterized by jerky body movements. Because an affected person’s body often repeats these moves several times in sequence, it can be compared to dance moves, especially if the chorea occurs in the legs or feet. These movements are usually concentrated in a patient’s upper body, face, arms and legs. Sometimes a person with chorea appears impatient or restless.
Diagnosis of myoclonus
Those with myoclonus types typically experience brief but intense spasms of involuntary movement. Seizures are often considered a form of this type of disorder, for example. There are many causes of this type of disease, including brain injury, stroke, shock, epilepsy, and poisoning. It can affect almost any part of the body and even the entire body at the same time.
Common treatment options
Treatment usually focuses on the underlying cause, so trying to calm the tremors as a secondary priority. Sometimes a solution can be as simple as stopping the use of certain medications, but it can also involve therapy, targeted exercises and, in some cases, surgery. There is usually no cure, and depending on the cause, there may not be a way to effectively stop or reduce the tremors. In these cases, patients are usually provided with support and resources to address their condition and manage the progressive degeneration.
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