INFORMATION ON MYOCLONUS:-

Myoclonus may be defined as an neurological disorder in which involuntary twitching of a muscle or a group of muscles occurs. Myoclonus jerks may occur alone or in sequence, in a pattern or without pattern. Myoclonus may occur infrequently or many times each minute. Most often, myoclonus is one of several symptoms in a wide variety of nervous system disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

CAUSES OF MYOCLONUS:-

The consequences which leads to the development of myoclonus twitches or jerks are:-

1. Infection.
2. injury to head.
3. injury to spinal cord.
4. liver failure.
5. kidney failure.
6. stroke.
7. lipid storage disorder.
8. chemical or drug poisoning.

SYMPTOMS OF MYOCLONUS:-

The list of symptoms mentioned in various sources for Myoclonus includes:-

1. Muscle twitches involving involuntary jerks of muscles with or without a pattern.
2. Muscle twitches when trying to move

DIAGNOSIS OF MYOCLONUS:-

In order to diagnose myoclonus doctor will ask about symptoms and medical history, and perform a physical exam in order to find:-

1. The origin in the nervous system of the myoclonus.
2. Condition for responsible for the symptoms.

Clinical test may include:-

1. EEG.
2. Electromyography.
3. MRI.
4. CT scan.
5. Blood test.

TREATMENT OF MYOCLONUS:-

The treatment for myoclonus focuses on medications which may help reduce symptoms. The first choice of the drug in order to treat myoclonus is, clonazepam, a type of tranquilizer. Dosages of clonazepam usually are increased gradually by priscriber until the subject improves or side effects come into picture. The beneficial effects of clonazepam may diminish over time if the subject develops a tolerance for the drug. Drowsiness and loss of coordination are common side effects.