Benign Idiopathic Myoclonus: A New Clinical Entity?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Myoclonus is a brief shock-like, involuntary movement, which can be distinguished in physiologic, essential, epileptic, and symptomatic, according to its etiology. Physiologic myoclonus typically occurs in healthy people without disability or progression.

Objectives

We suggest a new nosological entity in the physiologic group: "benign idiopathic myoclonus."

Methods

We present a cohort of patients with isolated adolescent-onset, distal limb myoclonus at rest and during action, in absence of a known cause and disabling progression, who underwent both clinical and neurophysiological examination in our tertiary Movement Disorders Expertise Center Groningen.

Results

Fifteen patients (4 men [26.7%]; age at onset, 18.1 ± 3.6 years; disease-duration, 5.3 ± 3

SUBMITTER: Sciacca G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12275006 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature