Symptoms of Chorea
Yesterday, I heard my colleague mention a disease called chorea, and I became very curious. I would like to learn about the symptoms and manifestations of chorea.
Doctor's answer (1)
The symptoms of chorea mainly include the following aspects:
1. Involuntary movements: Patients often exhibit rapid, purposeless, irregular, dance-like involuntary movements, such as opening the mouth, puckering the lips, sticking out the tongue, making grimaces, shrugging the shoulders, flexing and extending the head, and flailing of the limbs. These movements worsen with emotional excitement and disappear during sleep.
2. Mental abnormalities: Patients may experience emotional instability, irritability, decreased comprehension, and impaired memory. Some patients may also display mood changes such as apathy, anger, or depression.
3. Motor dysfunction: As the disease progresses, patients may develop difficulties with walking and balance, along with choreiform movements, twisting body motions, convulsions, and an unsteady, irregular gait. These movements cannot be controlled voluntarily and can interfere with the patient's daily life.
4. Other symptoms: In advanced stages, patients may exhibit body rigidity, bradykinesia (slowed movement), difficulty initiating or sustaining movements, significant weight loss, inability to walk or speak, and difficulty swallowing. Additionally, the patient's judgment, memory, and cognitive abilities may progressively decline.
