Choreoathetosis is the occurrence of involuntary movements in a combination of chorea (the irregular migrating contractions, where it is defined as choreoathetosis)[1] and athetosis (twisting and writhing). The movements manifest as slow and continuous (such as in the fingers or toes, tongue, or other parts of the body).[1]
| Choreoathetosis | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Neurology  |
It is caused by many different diseases and agents. It is a symptom of several diseases, including GLUT1 deficiency syndrome, Lesch–Nyhan syndrome, phenylketonuria, and Huntington disease and can be a feature of kernicterus (rapidly increasing unconjugated bilirubin that crosses the blood-brain-barrier in infants).
Choreoathetosis is also a common presentation of dyskinesia as a side effect of levodopa-carbidopa in the treatment of Parkinson disease.[2]
The use of crack cocaine or amphetamines can result in conditions nicknamed crack dancing, or tweaking respectively, described as choreoathetoid.[3] Athetosis can arise as a result of toxicity of these drugs and from basal ganglia diseases.[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 3 "MeSH Browser". meshb.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 2026-05-05.
- ↑ "28". Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (Eleventh ed.). McGraw Hill Medical. July 2009. p. 473. ISBN 978-0-07-160405-5.
- ↑ Deik, A; Saunders-Pullman, R; Luciano, MS (September 2012). "Substance of abuse and movement disorders: complex interactions and comorbidities". Current Drug Abuse Reviews. 5 (3): 243–53. doi:10.2174/1874473711205030243. PMC 3966544. PMID 23030352.
 | This medical sign article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |