Movement - uncontrolled or slow

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Muscular atrophy

Overview

Treatment

Movement - uncontrolled or slow

Definition:

Uncontrolled or slow movement is defined as an impairment of the muscle tone (usually in large muscle groups), causing slow involuntary contractions of the head, limbs, trunk, or neck.

Alternative Names:

Dystonia; Involuntary slow and twisting movements; Choreoathetosis; Leg and arm movements - uncontrollable; Arm and leg movements - uncontrollable; Slow involuntary movements of large muscle groups; Athetoid movements

Considerations:

The slow sinuous twisting movements of muscles (athetosis) or sustained muscle contraction (dystonia) may be caused by a number of conditions, including cerebral palsy, encephalitis, drug side effects, hepatic encephalopathy, and Huntington's chorea.

The abnormal movement may be reduced or disappear during sleep, but it is worsened by emotional stress. Abnormal and sometimes grotesque postures may be a manifestation of these movements.

Common Causes:

Encephalitis
Hepatic encephalopathy
Medication side effects
Cerebral palsy
Genetic disease

Review Date: 4/28/2005
Reviewed By: Chitra R. Uppaluri, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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