Hyperkinesia refers to an increase in muscular activity that can result in excessive abnormal movements, excessive normal movements, or a combination of both. Hyperkinesia is a state of excessive restlessness which is featured in a large variety of disorders that affect the ability to control motor movement, such as Huntingtons disease. It is the opposite of hypokinesia, which refers to decreased bodily movement, as commonly manifested in Parkinsons disease. Many hyperkinetic movements are the result of improper regulation of the basal ganglia–thalamocortical circuitry. Overactivity of a direct pathway combined with decreased activity of indirect pathway results in activation of thalamic neurons and excitation of cortical neurons, resulting in increased motor output. Often, hyperkinesia is paired with hypotonia, a decrease in muscle tone. Many hyperkinetic disorders are psychological in nature and are typically prominent in childhood. Depending on the specific type of hyperkinetic movement, there are different treatment options available to minimize the symptoms, including different medical and surgical therapies. The word hyperkinesis comes from the Greek hyper, meaning "increased," and kinein, meaning "to move." Classification
Basic hyperkinetic movements can be defined as any unwanted, excess movement. Such abnormal movements can be distinguished from each other on the basis of whether or not, or to what degree they are, rhythmic, discrete, repeated, and random.
Athetosis can occur in the resting state, as well as in conjunction with chorea and dystonia. When combined with o, as in cerebral palsy, the term "choreoathetosis" is frequently used. Chorea
Chorea is a continuous, random-appearing sequence of one or more discrete involuntary movements or movement fragments. Although chorea consists of discrete movements, many are often strung together in time, thus making it difficult to identify each movements start and end point. These movements can involve the face, trunk, neck, tongue, and extremities. Unlike dystonic movements, chorea-associated movements are often more rapid, random and unpredictable. Movements are repeated, but not rhythmic in nature. Children with chorea appear fidgety and will often try to disguise the random movements by voluntarily turning the involuntary, abnormal movement into a seemingly more normal, purposeful motion. Chorea may result specifically from disorders of the basal ganglia, cerebral cortex, thalamus, and cerebellum. It has also been associated with encephalitis, hyperthyroidism, anticholinergic toxicity, and other genetic and metabolic disorders. Chorea is also the prominent movement featured in Huntingtons disease. Dystonia
Dystonia is a movement disorder in which involuntarily sustained or intermittent muscle contractions cause twisting or repetitive movements, abnormal postures, or both. Such abnormal postures include foot inversion, wrist ulnar deviation, or lordotic trunk twisting. They can be localized to specific parts of the body or be generalized to many different muscle groups. These postures are often sustained for long periods of time and can be combined in time.