Definition

A sudden, involuntary twitching or jerking of muscles that can happen in various brain disorders.

Example

The patient experienced myoclonus, causing her arms to jerk unexpectedly.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of myoclonus?

Yeah, I think it's that condition where your muscles twitch unexpectedly, right?

Exactly! It can be quite alarming when it happens.

For sure, I read that it can be linked to some brain disorders.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Myoclonus is formed from "myo-" (from Greek "mys", meaning muscle) and "clonus" (from Greek "klonos", meaning violent, confused motion). The word refers to a condition characterized by sudden, involuntary muscle jerks or spasms.

Memory Tip

Think of 'muscle' ('myo-') and 'violent motion' ('clonus') to remember that myoclonus describes sudden muscle jerks.

Visually Confused Words