Athetosis

Athetosis
Involuntary writhing movements particularly of the arms and hands.
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A condition in which there is a constant succession of slow, writhing, involuntary movements of flexion, extension, pronation, and supination of the fingers and hands, and sometimes of the toes and feet. Usually caused by an extrapyramidal lesion. SYN: extrapyramidal cerebral palsy, Hammond disease. [G. athetos, without position or place]
- double a. a type of cerebral palsy manifested predominantly as bilateral involuntary movements, beginning at about the age of 3 years, and preceded by generalized hypotonia and delayed motor development. Due to various causes, including kernicterus and birth hypoxia. SYN: congenital choreoathetosis, double congenital a., Vogt syndrome.
- double congenital a. SYN: double a..
- posthemiplegic a. a unilateral a. involving hemiplegic limbs, usually seen in children. SYN: posthemiplegic chorea.

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ath·e·to·sis .ath-ə-'tō-səs n, pl -to·ses -.sēz a nervous disorder that is marked by continual slow movements esp. of the extremities and is usu. due to a brain lesion

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n.
a writhing involuntary movement especially affecting the hands, face, and tongue. It is usually a form of cerebral palsy. It impairs the child's ability to speak or use his hands; intelligence is often unaffected. Such movements may also be caused by drugs used to treat parkinsonism or by the withdrawal of phenothiazines (see also dyskinesia).
• athetotic adj.

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ath·e·to·sis (ath″ə-toґsis) [Gr. athetos not fixed + -osis] a form of dyskinesia marked by ceaseless occurrence of slow, sinuous, writhing movements, especially severe in the hands, and performed involuntarily; it may occur after hemiplegia, and is then known as posthemiplegic chorea. Called also mobile spasm. athetotic adj

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Athetosis — Ath e*to sis, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ? not fixed; a priv. + ? to set.] (Med.) A variety of chorea, marked by peculiar tremors of the fingers and toes. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • athetosis — 1871, from Gk. athetos not fixed, without position or place, set aside + OSIS (Cf. osis). Coined by U.S. nerve specialist William Alexander Hammond (1828 1900) …   Etymology dictionary

  • athetosis — [ath΄ə tō′sis] n. pl. athetoses [ath′ə tō′sēz] a muscular disorder characterized by continuous, slow, twisting motions of the hands, feet, etc., as in cerebral palsy athetoid [ath΄ətoid΄] adj. athetotic [ath΄ətät′ik] …   English World dictionary

  • Athetosis — Infobox Disease Name = PAGENAME Caption = DiseasesDB = 16662 ICD10 = ICD10|R|25|8|r|25 ICD9 = ICD9|781.0 ICDO = OMIM = MedlinePlus = eMedicineSubj = eMedicineTopic = MeshID = D001264 Athetosis is a continuous stream of slow, sinuous, writhing… …   Wikipedia

  • athetosis — athetosic, athetotic /ath i tot ik/, adj. /ath i toh sis/, n. Pathol. a condition, chiefly in children, of slow, involuntary, wormlike movements of the fingers, toes, hands, and feet, usually resulting from a brain lesion. [1870 75; < Gk… …   Universalium

  • athetosis — noun A series of involuntary writhing movements of the limbs …   Wiktionary

  • athetosis — n. disease which causes unintentional movement of the fingers and limbs …   English contemporary dictionary

  • athetosis — [ˌaθɪ təʊsɪs] noun Medicine a condition in which abnormal muscle contraction causes involuntary writhing movements. Derivatives athetoid adjective athetotic adjective Origin C19: from Gk athetos without position + osis …   English new terms dictionary

  • athetosis — ath·e·to·sis …   English syllables

  • athetosis — n. a writhing involuntary movement especially affecting the hands, face, and tongue. It is usually a form of cerebral palsy. It impairs the child s ability to speak or use his hands; intelligence is often unaffected. Such movements may also be… …   The new mediacal dictionary

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