Chorea

Also known as: choreia.

What is chorea?

Chorea refers to the restless, jerky or dance-like movements that can occur as the result of a movement disorder. It can occur as a symptom along with several other diseases, including neurological diseases.

What causes chorea?

Chorea can have a wide variety of causes, either from other medical conditions, medications or toxins. Some of the common ones include rheumatic fever, autoimmune diseases, stroke, some medications or toxins. The symptom of chorea originates in a part of the brain called the basal ganglia, a collection of nerve cells deep in the brain that control how you move.

What are the symptoms of chorea?

The most common symptoms of chorea are the involuntary muscle movements that affect the hands, feet and face. They can look like you’re dancing, playing the piano or moving in pain. The movements can be fluid or jerky. Other symptoms of chorea can include a jerky motion when trying to hold someone’s hand (milkmaid’s grip), the tongue sliding out of the mouth (jack-in-the-box tongue), or speech problems.

How can chorea affect children?

Chorea can occur frequently in children just as it does in adults. Many of the diseases that cause chorea can occur in children. It’s treated similarly as it would be in adults, but it may pose additional challenges due to children’s lack of impulse control.

What are chorea treatments?

The treatment for chorea varies based on the underlying condition that is causing the involuntary muscle movements. The same is true of other medical conditions. If medication is causing chorea, stopping or changing medications often helps.

Reviewed by: Migvis Monduy, MD

This page was last updated on: February 07, 2024 06:01 PM