21st June 2023

Chorea

Chorea is the jerky contractions of muscles causing dance-like movements. The muscle groups commonly involved are the head, arms, trunk, and legs. It is the result of overactivity of dopamine and the basal ganglia, which at times is due to a lack of inhibition by the thalamocortical neurons.

The causes of chorea are:

• Huntington’s disease
• Hyperthyroidism
• Hypoparathyroidism
• Hyperglycaemia
• Autoimmune disorders
• Sydenham chorea
• Stroke
• Drug-induced, e.g. levodopa, phenytoin, and tricyclic antidepressants
• Tardive dyskinesia – occurs secondary to antipsychotic use

The treatments for chorea include:

• Tetrabenazine – depletes striatal dopamine
• Antipsychotics, e.g. haloperidol, olanzapine, or quetiapine