MadSci Network: Medicine |
Chorea is the involuntary, incoordinated, rapid, jerky type of movement of brief duration. Such movement, although variable, is continual. The best known chorea is the Hungtington's chorea, an autosomal dominant inherited disease. A short description of the symptoms associated with huntingtons disease is available at http://www.caregiver.org/factsheets/diagnoses/huntingtons.html briefly: Chorea--quick, jerking, uncontrollable movements of the limbs, trunk and face are the most obvious symptoms. The patient's gait is often mistaken for that of a person who is drunk. Poor short-term memory and judgment--Although most patients continue to recognize their caregivers and can give feedback about their condition and care, the Huntington's disease patient suffers declining mental skills as the disease progresses. Depression, irritability and apathy can be noted before and after the onset of chorea in a percentage of the Huntington's disease population. Some patients may exhibit schizophrenic-like behavior. Chorea is often the first and most easily observed symptom of the disease, making the name Huntington's Chorea quite descriptive.
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