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Related Experiment Videos

Psychogenic myoclonus

K Monday1, J Jankovic

  • 1Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030.

Neurology
|February 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Psychogenic myoclonus, a common disorder, is characterized by movements triggered by stress and anxiety. Diagnosis involves incongruent clinical features, psychopathology, and improvement with placebo or distraction.

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Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Psychiatry
  • Movement Disorders

Background:

  • Psychogenic myoclonus is the most frequent psychogenic movement disorder encountered in movement disorder clinics.
  • Understanding its characteristics is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective management.

Observation:

  • Eighteen patients (13 female, 5 male; age 22-75) diagnosed with psychogenic myoclonus were studied.
  • Myoclonus duration averaged 36 months, presenting segmentally (10), generally (7), or focally (1).
  • Stress and anxiety precipitated or worsened myoclonic movements in 15 and 14 patients, respectively.

Findings:

  • Diagnosis was supported by clinical features atypical for organic myoclonus.
  • Evidence of underlying psychopathology was noted in patients.

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  • Improvement with distraction (14 patients) and placebo (9 patients) was observed.
  • Incongruent sensory loss or weakness was present in five patients.

    • Implications:

    • Psychogenic myoclonus requires a comprehensive diagnostic approach considering clinical, psychological, and response-to-treatment factors.
    • Gaining insight into the psychogenic mechanisms facilitated improvement in over half of patients with adequate follow-up.
    • This study provides a diagnostic and therapeutic guide for psychogenic myoclonus.