[Myoclonus in Alzheimer's disease]

Neurodegenerative diseases are often presented with myoclonus, sudden, short-term, involuntary muscle contractions («flinching»). According to the literature, myoclonus in Alzheimer's disease (AD) can occur up to 40-50% in cases of disease with early onset and in atypical forms. Importantly, epileptic myoclonus may indicate a risk of seizures with loss of consciousness, convulsions, and epileptiform activity, which may lead to more rapid progression of cognitive deficits. Diagnosis of myoclonus is essential for timely treatment and improving the quality of life of AD patients. The paper describes the main features of myoclonus in AD, the possibility of using additional examination methods, in particular video-electroencephalographic (video-EEG) monitoring for differential diagnosis and etiology clarification, and also presents a clinical case of a patient with AD and epileptic and non-epileptic myoclonus.