Myoclonus
Myoclonus
It is defined as the quick and involuntary muscle jerk. Myoclonus examples include hiccups and sudden jerk before sleep. This condition does not cause any problems in healthy people. Sometime it occurs in associated with other neurological diseases.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of myoclonus include:
- Sudden
- Involuntary
- Shock like feeling
- Variable in intensity and frequency
- Brief
Causes
There are many causes of myoclonus, some are mention below:
- Physiological causes include hiccups, sleep starts, anxiety and spasm.
- Idiopathic causes
- Epileptic myoclonus
- Head and spinal cord injury
- Infection
- Metabolic disorder
- Oxygen deprivation
Diagnosis
After taking medical history and conducting a physical examination your doctor might recommend a following tests to confirm the diagnosis:
- EEG to record the electrical activity of your brain
- EMG (electromyography)
- MRI to see detailed images of brain
- Lab tests
Treatment
Treatment option of myoclonus include:
- Anticonvulsants to control epileptic seizures
- Tranquilizers
- Valproic acid
- Surgical removal of tumor