Voluntary stimulus-sensitive jerks and jumps mimicking myoclonus or pathological startle syndromes.

Journal article

Five patients who presented with stimulus-induced jerking as part of an apparent myoclonic or pathological startle syndrome are reported. Neurophysiological observations in these patients suggested the jerks were voluntary in origin. These included (a) variable latencies to the onset of stimulus induced jerks, (b) latencies were greater than that seen in reflex myoclonus of cortical or brainstem origin, and were (c) longer than the fastest voluntary reaction times of normal subjects, (d) vari...

Expand abstract

Authors: Thompson, P; Colebatch, J; Brown, P; Rothwell, J; Day, B

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 257-262
• Publication date: 1992-01-01
• DOI: 10.1002/mds.870070312
• EISSN: 1531-8257
• ISSN: 0885-3185
• Language: English
• Keywords: Reference Values; Female; Adult; Malingering; Humans; Startle Reaction; Reaction Time; Reflex; Somatoform Disorders; Neurologic Examination; Muscles; Myoclonus; Male