(also known as St. Vitus dance) is an abnormal voluntary movement disorder, one of a group of neurological disorders called
Dyskinesia s, which are caused by overactivity of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the areas of the brain that control movement. Chorea is characterized by brief, irregular contractions that are not repetitive or rhythmic, but appear to flow from one muscle to the next. Chorea often occurs with
Athetosis , which adds twisting and writhing movements. Chorea is a primary feature of
Huntington's Disease , a progressive, hereditary movement disorder that appears in adults, but it may also occur in a variety of other conditions.
Sydenham's Chorea occurs in a small percentage (20 percent) of children and adolescents as a complication of
Rheumatic Fever . Chorea can also be induced by drugs (
Levodopa ,
Anti-convulsant s, and
Anti-psychotic s) metabolic and endocrine disorders and vascular incidents.
When chorea is serious, slight movements will become thrashing motions, this form of severe chorea is referred to as "ballism". Walking may become peculiar, and include odd postures and leg movements. Unlike
Ataxia and
Dystonia , which affect the quality of voluntary movements or
Parkinsonism , which is a hindrance of voluntary movements, the movements of chorea and ballism occur on their own, without conscious effort.
The term ''chorea'' is derived from a Greek word ''khoreia'' (a kind of dance, see
Chorea ), as the quick movements of the feet or hands are vaguely comparable to dancing or
Piano playing.
There is no standard course of treatment for chorea. Treatment depends on the type of chorea and the associated disease. Treatment for
Huntington's Disease is supportive, while treatment for Syndenham's chorea usually involves
Antibiotic drugs to treat the infection, followed by drug therapy to prevent recurrence. Adjusting medication dosages can treat drug-induced chorea. Metabolic and endocrine-related choreas are treated according to the cause(s) of symptoms.
