Chorea comprises irregular, apparently random movements of varying speeds involving hands, feet, mouth, and tongue. Particularly at the outset of the disorder, the movement may appear purposeful and can be easily imitated. Chorea is seen in association with various medical diseases such as cerebrovascular diseases (hemichorea), autoimmune diseases like Sydenham chorea, thyrotoxicosis, pregnancy, drug intoxication, and hereditary disorders like Huntington disease, neuroacanthocytosis, and dentato-rubro-pallido-luysian atrophy (DRPLA). Treatment with D2-blockers is effective in some cases. Ballism entailsgross violent movements of extremities that look like throwing or kicking. It is commonly caused by a vascular lesion of the subthalamic nucleus or striatum and thus involves contralateral upper and lower limbs (hemiballism). Vigorous muscle contractions irregularly involve the shoulder and pelvic girdles and the proximal limbs. In the chronic stage, each movement becomes less violent and resembles chorea, although it still involves primarily the proximal muscles. Ballism usually responds to medication with diazepam or D2-blockers like haloperidol.
Huntington-Krankheit und Chorea minor