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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffPeople with myoclonus often describe their signs and symptoms as jerks, shakes or spasms that are:
- Sudden
- Brief
- Involuntary
- Shock-like
- Variable in intensity and frequency
- Localized to one part of the body or all over the body
- Sometimes severe enough to interfere with eating, speaking or walking
When to see a doctor
If your myoclonus symptoms become frequent and persistent, talk to your doctor for further evaluation and proper diagnosis and treatment.
References
- Myoclonus fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/myoclonus/detail_myoclonus.htm?c. Accessed Sept. 25, 2012.
- Caviness JN. Classification and evaluation of myoclonus. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 25, 2012.
- Caviness JN. Symptomatic (secondary) myoclonus. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 25, 2012.
- Caviness JN. Treatment of myoclonus. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 25, 2012.
- Neurological diagnostic tests and procedures. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/misc/diagnostic_tests.htm. Accessed Sept. 27, 2012.
- Evidente VGH, et al. An update on the neurological applications of botulinum toxins. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports. 2010;10:338.
- Caviness JN (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. Nov. 19, 2012.
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