Athetosis is caused by lesions in several brain areas such as the hippocampus and the motor thalamus, as well as the corpus striatum; therefore children during the developmental age could possibly suffer from severe communication deficits such as speech impairment, hearing loss, and failed or delayed acquirement of sitting balance, although most people with athetosis have normal or near-normal intelligence. Causes
Athetosis is a symptom primarily caused by the marbling, or degeneration of the basal ganglia. This degeneration is most commonly caused by complications at birth or by Huntingtons disease, in addition to rare cases in which the damage may also arise later in life due to stroke or trauma. The two complications of particular interest are intranatal asphyxia and neonatal jaundice. Asphyxia
Asphyxia directly causes basal ganglia damage due to lack of oxygen and therefore, insufficient nutrient supply. The lesions caused by asphyxia are most prominent on the caudate nucleus and the putamen. However, a less-studied consequence of the resulting hypoxia is its effect on the concentrations of the neurotransmitter dopamine within the synapses of neurons in the basal ganglia. Hypoxia leads to an increase in the extracellular dopamine levels and therefore, an increase in the activity of the dopaminergic neurons. Furthermore, this increase in extracellular concentration is not caused by an increase in the neurotransmitter synthesis, but instead on inhibiting its reuptake back into the neurons and glial cells. Therefore, there is an increased dopaminergic effect as dopamine remains in the synapse at higher concentrations leading to additional post-synaptic response.
There are also studies in mice and dogs reported the protective effect of folic acid supplementation to prevent cleft lip palate occurrence. Treatment
Jaw abnormalities are commonly treated with combined surgical (orthognathic surgery) and orthodontic treatment. The procedure is carried out by oral and maxillofacial surgeons and orthodontists in close collaboration.In most cases, the orthodontist will first align the teeth with braces or other appliances, which may worsen the occlusion until after the surgery. This is carried out to show the full degree of abnormality, and to create sufficient space for full correction in the bones.Orthognathic surgery, also known as corrective jaw surgery, is performed to normalise dentofacial deformity and reposition part/all of the upper and/or lower jaws to improve occlusion stability and facial proportions. It is the mainstay treatment for patients who are too old for growth modification and for dentofacial conditions that are too severe for either surgical or orthodontic camouflage.The surgery usually involves gaining access to the bone from inside the mouth, revealing and moving the bone into a correct functional position, and fixing it in position with metal plates and screws. These plates are most often left in the bone, but at times require removal due to infection, which would require another operation. Most orthognathic surgeries are performed inside the mouth without any external scarring. Mandibular surgery
There are numerous surgical techniques available to correct the position of the mandible.