Does your body dance? Let's talk about uncontrollable movements (Chorea)

Imagine not being able to control your arms or legs. Your body parts move involuntarily, as if someone is dancing. This is actually a condition that some people experience. Someone who sees this may think that they are just dancing. The name Chorea comes from the Greek word for "dance". But for the person who suffers from this, it is not so simple. Let's learn more about it today.

What exactly is Chorea?

Simply put, Chorea is a movement disorder. It is caused by a malfunction in the basal ganglia, a central nervous system located deep in the brain that controls movement. This causes involuntary movements of the hands, feet, and face that occur without our control.

These movements can sometimes be very small, just like twisting back and forth. Some people think this is just a nervous reaction. But sometimes it can also be violent, rapid movements that flow from one part of the body to another.

What are the main symptoms of this disease?

There are several specific symptoms that doctors use to diagnose Chorea. These can be a sign that you may have this condition.

Other types of chorea

In addition to the main types of chorea, there are several other movement disorders associated with it.

• Athetosis: This is a slow-acting type of chorea. Here, movements take on a twitching, writhing nature.
• Choreoathetosis: This is a combination of both Chorea and Athetosis. Here the movements occur at a moderate pace and intensity.
• Ballism/Ballismus: This is a very rapid, violent form of chorea. It looks like someone is throwing their arms and legs.

What are the causes of chorea?

As we discussed earlier, the root of this is a part of the brain called the basal ganglia. Scientists believe that chorea occurs when this part receives too much of a chemical called dopamine, which helps with nerve function. Dopamine is essential for our bodies, but when it gets too much, it can cause problems like this.

However, there could be many other reasons for this, some of which are very rare.

• Rheumatic fever: Some children may develop a temporary state of chorea if they develop rheumatic fever after a throat infection (strep throat) or scarlet fever.
• Autoimmune diseases : This condition can occur in people with diseases like lupus.
• Brain damage: Chorea can be caused by conditions such as a brain tumor or stroke.
• Hormonal and metabolic disorders: This can also be caused by conditions such as hypothyroidism.
• Certain medications: Chorea can occur as a side effect of some medications, especially those used for Parkinson 's disease .

Let's learn about diagnosis and treatment.

The first thing a doctor does is observe your symptoms. ThenThe challenge is to find the cause of the disease , which can be helped by brain scans (imaging tests) and blood tests.

Also, your doctor will definitely ask about all the medications you are currently taking, as sometimes this can be caused by a medication.

Once the cause is found, your doctor will decide whether you need treatment or not. In some cases, especially if it is caused by a medication, the chorea condition will go away on its own once the medication is stopped or changed. Otherwise, the underlying cause of the condition will be treated.

There are medications that can help control these uncontrollable movements. These medications often work by blocking the action of dopamine in the brain. Although brain surgery and deep brain stimulation (DBS) are used as treatments, they are rarely used because of the potential for complications.

Huntington's Disease and Chorea

When talking about chorea, we can't help but mention Huntington's disease. This is the most well-known cause of chorea. But it's a very rare disease, affecting only one in 10,000 or 20,000 people.

This disease is different from other causes because it has no specific cure and the disease progresses over time and leads to death . This disease occurs when parts of the basal ganglia in the brain are destroyed.

Chorea usually first begins between the ages of 35 and 40. Although mental problems also begin at the same time, they are not very obvious in the early stages.

The genetic side of Huntington's disease

Because it is a hereditary disease, a child born to a mother or father with Huntington's disease has a 50% chance of developing the disease. The defective gene that causes it was discovered by scientists in 1993.

Today, information about this disease can be found through genetic testing .

• If you have symptoms, make sure it's Huntington's disease.
• If someone in your family (parents, relatives) has this disease, find out if you will also develop this disease in the future.
• Find out if the baby in the womb has this disease during pregnancy (prenatal testing).