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Differential Diagnosis of Movement Disorders in Clinical Practice pp 95–106Cite as

Myoclonus

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Abstract

Myoclonus is characterized by brief involuntary muscle jerks due to concise electromyographic bursts of 10–50 ms. Abnormal movements can be induced by both positive muscle contractions or negative symptoms with brief lapses of muscle contractions. This chapter reviews main clinical characteristics of myoclonus and its most common causes. We describe characteristic phenotypic features of myoclonus, classification based on clinical presentation and pathophysiology of myoclonus, and therapeutic options to control this abnormal movement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Parkinson’s Clinic of Eastern Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Abdul Qayyum Rana

  2. Department of Neurology Division of Movement Disorders, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Peter Hedera

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  1. Abdul Qayyum Rana
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  2. Peter Hedera
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© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Rana, A.Q., Hedera, P. (2014). Myoclonus. In: Differential Diagnosis of Movement Disorders in Clinical Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01607-8_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01607-8_5

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-01606-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-01607-8

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