Which movement disorder is defined as involuntary writhing movements?

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Multiple Choice

Which movement disorder is defined as involuntary writhing movements?

Explanation:
Athetosis refers to involuntary, slow, continuous, writhing movements that affect the limbs, especially the hands and feet. This slow, sinuous, undulating motion distinguishes it from chorea, which produces rapid, irregular jerks, and from dystonia, which involves sustained muscle contractions and abnormal postures. Athetosis can occur with basal ganglia dysfunction and is often seen in cerebral palsy or other conditions affecting the caudate–putamen circuitry. Sometimes movements blend with chorea to form choreathetosis, but the defining feature asked about here is the slow, writhing quality that characterizes athetosis.

Athetosis refers to involuntary, slow, continuous, writhing movements that affect the limbs, especially the hands and feet. This slow, sinuous, undulating motion distinguishes it from chorea, which produces rapid, irregular jerks, and from dystonia, which involves sustained muscle contractions and abnormal postures. Athetosis can occur with basal ganglia dysfunction and is often seen in cerebral palsy or other conditions affecting the caudate–putamen circuitry. Sometimes movements blend with chorea to form choreathetosis, but the defining feature asked about here is the slow, writhing quality that characterizes athetosis.