What is the Distinction Between Chorea and Dystonia?

Chorea and Dystonia

Both chorea and dystopia defined involuntary and sudden movements paired up with neurological disorders. But people with dystonia have repetitive movements, which follow a specific pattern. People suffering from chorea display movements that are completely random. Experts have said that people with dystopia can twist into abnormal, uncomfortable, and painful postures for many hours. But people with chorea have fleeting movements, which flow from one muscle group to the other. This post looks at the differences and similarities between chorea and dystopia.

You will also find information on the dystopia and chorea treatment options, risk factors, etc.

Chorea vs Dystopia: The Difference

Before getting to the major differences between the two, it’s crucial to know what exactly dystopia and chorea are in detail:

Dystopia

Several doctors including the experts from Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital have pointed out several kinds of dystopia. But people who suffer from any type of dystopia can twist their bodies in unusual or uncomfortable positions, which occurs due to involuntary muscle contraction. Here, the contractions can be either sustained or intermittent.

People who have dystonia may experience muscle contractions in any area of their body. This means they may feel muscle contractions in the face, neck, vocal cords, hands, legs, torso, arms, and eyelids.

This condition affects the same type of muscle group, and people can adapt to the same postures during various episodes. The symptoms of dystopia vary greatly because it depends on the condition’s severity.

There are several types of dystopias, and these are:

    • Focal: This type of dystopia affects just one part of the body. Task-specific dystonia is a type of focal dystonia that takes place after a repetitive activity.

    • Multifocal: This type of dystopia affects one or two parts of the body that are not adjacent. For instance, the leg and arm are on the body’s opposing side.

    • Segmented: Segmented dystopia affects two adjacent parts of the body.

    • Generalised: This type of dystopia affects one part of the body.

Chorea

This is a condition that is defined as an irregular, uncontrolled, and jerky movement that doesn’t last much longer. The movements will surely disappear when the person is sleeping. Chorea is viewed as a symptom/sign of a health condition, a characteristic symptom of thyroid and metabolic disease and Huntington’s disease.

The condition might occur in the form of a side effect of certain medications. Some of these medications are levodopa, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants.

Differences & Similarities Between Dystopia and Chorea

Both chorea and dystopia are neurological disorders that can make people conduct involuntary or unusual movements. The primary difference between these conditions is that people who have chorea make movements randomly. But people with dystopia make movements predictably.

The duration of the movements between these conditions differs greatly. People with chorea make brief movements, and people with dystopia make movements that can last for a long time.

Experts from Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital have said that dystopia takes place when the basal ganglia don’t function properly. The basal ganglia are a section of the brain that is known to control and coordinate movements. Chorea, on the other hand, occurs due to the overactivity of dopamine in several sections of the brain, which controls movement.

Treatments for Chorea and Dystopia

Since chorea is associated with an underlying condition, its symptoms can be reduced by treating the actual cause. So the best chorea treatment option here is that the doctors treat the Sydenham chorea with the help of antibiotics. When a person has drug chorea, the doctor will treat the symptoms by making some changes to the prescribed medications.

For dystonia, doctors can reduce its symptoms, and the treatment for this condition will depend on its severity. But there are some treatment options that medical experts claim to be effective for dystopia. These are:

    • Speech Therapy

    • Botox [Botulinum Toxin] injections.

    • Medications that can block the chemicals present in the brain

    • Surgically implanting electrodes in the parts of the brain which control the movement.

    • Physical Therapy that improves the posture

Final Thoughts

Chorea and dystopia are neurological conditions, but both of them are different from each other. Chorea causes irregular movements, and dystopia causes predictable movements. The treatment options for these can differ greatly, and it is recommended to speak to the doctor about it.

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