Dyskinesia
Dyskinesia Causes
Dyskinesia takes place as a result of medications like L-dopa and antipsychotic drugs.
Dyskinesia Definition
Dyskinesia is a disorder that is characterized by involuntary movements such as in chorea or tic. Dyskinesia has been found out to be a mere symptom of various medical conditions and has a specific underlying cause.
Dyskinesia Diagnosis
Sometimes, doctors wrongly diagnose symptoms to insomnia, stress, nervousness, muscle cramps, aging, or arthritis. NO single diagnositc test is available. However, dyskinesia can be clinically diagnosed through the evaluation of the patient's symptoms and medical history.
Dyskinesia Symptoms and Signs
Symptoms of the disease include tongue rolling, dance-like or jerky head or arm movements. Such manifestations take place after years of use of the mentioned medications.
Dyskinesia Treatment
To ease the symptoms or severity of dyskinesia, doctors advise treatment using bromocriptine. However, this method has been reported to be unsuccessful. Patients who are just starting to experience the symptoms of the disease are normally reluctant to undergo l-dopa medication until the need is vital. Those who are already experiencing severe stages of the disorder caused by high doses of the drug may undergo deep brain stimulation or DBS. This treatment option has been found to benefit dyskinesia patients in more than one way. First, DBS permits the l-dopa dosage to be reduced by 50-60%. Second, DBS by itself, can lessen dyskinesia.