Rapid, involuntary, jerky movements of muscle groups are called what?

The term for rapid, involuntary, jerky movements of muscle groups is "chorea." Chorea is characterized by irregular, non-repetitive movements that can affect various parts of the body and often appear to flow from one muscle group to another. These movements are typically unpredictable, which differentiates them from other movement disorders.

Chorea is commonly associated with conditions such as Huntington's disease and can also occur in response to certain medications or metabolic disturbances. Understanding the definition of chorea and its clinical manifestations allows for better identification and differentiation from similar conditions.

In contrast to the other terms: ataxia refers to a lack of voluntary coordination leading to unsteady movements, while myoclonus describes sudden, brief muscle jerks without the fluidity of chorea. Tremors are rhythmic, oscillatory movements that differ in nature from the jerky, dance-like movements of chorea.