Causes of Myoclonus: Secondary (Symptomatic) Myoclonus
Secondary myoclonus can be caused by various medical conditions. These include head or spinal cord injuries, metabolic diseases, liver or kidney failure, autoimmune inflammatory diseases, drug or chemical poisoning, infections, lipid storage diseases, and reactions to medication. Additionally, nervous system disorders such as stroke, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, Huntington’s disease, corticobasal degeneration, brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, stiff-person syndrome, and multiple system atrophy can all lead to secondary myoclonus.
Diagnosing Myoclonus
When diagnosing myoclonus, a medical professional will not only aim to identify the presence of muscle jerks but also seek to uncover the underlying cause in order to develop an effective treatment plan. To achieve this, the doctor may order a series of tests: