Myoclonus – Symptoms and Causes
Overview
Myoclonus describes quick, involuntary jerking movements that people cannot control.
Common examples include:
- Hiccups
- “Sleep starts” (jerks felt when falling asleep)
These normal types happen in healthy individuals and typically don’t require medical attention.
However, myoclonus can also stem from:
- Nervous system disorders (like epilepsy)
- Metabolic conditions
- Medication reactions
When doctors can identify the cause, treatment focuses on addressing the underlying condition to manage symptoms.
In cases where the cause remains unknown or untreatable, healthcare providers work to minimize myoclonus impacts on daily life.
Most treatment plans aim to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life for those affected by more serious forms of myoclonus.
Signs and Symptoms
People with muscle jerks often notice quick, uncontrolled movements that are:
- Sudden and unexpected
- Short-lasting
- Not under voluntary control
- Feeling like electrical shocks
- Different in strength and how often they happen
- Possible in specific body parts or throughout the body
- Sometimes strong enough to make daily activities difficult
When Medical Care Is Needed
If you experience frequent or continuous muscle jerks, consult with your healthcare provider.
They can help determine the cause and discuss possible treatment options for your condition.
Why Muscle Twitches Happen
Normal Body Twitches
Some muscle twitches are completely normal and don’t need treatment. These happen in healthy people for various reasons.
Hiccups are a common example that most people experience.
Sleep starts—those sudden jerks that happen as you’re falling asleep—are also normal. Many people have anxiety-related twitches or muscle spasms after exercise.
Babies often have muscle twitches during sleep or after eating. This is a normal part of development.
Unexplained Twitches
Sometimes muscle twitches occur without any other symptoms or underlying illness. Doctors call this essential myoclonus.
The cause often remains unknown. In some cases, these twitches run in families through genetic factors.
Seizure-Related Twitches
These muscle twitches are part of epilepsy disorders. They happen because of abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
Medical Condition Twitches
Many health problems can cause muscle twitches. These are called secondary twitches because they result from another condition.
Common causes include:
| Physical Causes | Disease-Related Causes | External Causes |
|---|---|---|
| Head injuries | Stroke | Drug reactions |
| Spinal cord damage | Brain tumors | Chemical poisoning |
| Oxygen deprivation | Kidney failure | COVID-19 infection |
| Liver problems |
Several brain and nervous system disorders can lead to muscle twitches:
- Degenerative Diseases: Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease
- Rare Conditions: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
- Complex Disorders: Multiple system atrophy and Lewy body dementia
- Other Brain Conditions: Corticobasal degeneration and frontotemporal dementia
Metabolic problems that affect how the body processes nutrients can trigger twitches. Autoimmune conditions, where the body’s defense system attacks its own tissues, may also cause these movements.
Lipid storage diseases, which affect how the body handles fats, sometimes lead to muscle twitches as a symptom.
Infections affecting the nervous system can trigger twitching as the body responds to the invading organism.
