A young woman comes in with brief, rapid, jerky, irregular movements. They can occur at rest or during other intentional movements and involve mostly her face, head, lower arms, and hands. How would you describe these movements?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

These represent chorea because they are brief, rapid, unpredictable, and irregular. Tics are irregular but tend to be stereotyped and can be vocal (throat-clearing), facial expressions, or shoulder shrugging. Athetosis is a slow, squirming motion usually affecting the face and distal extremities. Dystonia is similar to athetosis but the movements are more coarse and can involve twisted postural changes.

A Young Woman Comes in with Brief, Rapid, Jerky, Irregular