Neurol. praxi. 2026;27(4):263-267 | DOI: 10.36290/neu.2026.039

Myoclonus - basic orientation for clinical practice

MUDr. Ján Necpál, PhD.^{1, 2}, MUDr. Orest Shabatiuk^{1, 2}

¹ Neurologické oddelenie, Nemocnica Zvolen, a. s., Zvolen

² Centrum pre liečbu parkinsonizmu a extrapyramídových porúch, Nemocnica Zvolen, a. s., Zvolen

Myoclonus, belonging to the group of hyperkinetic movement disorders, is manifested by short and rapid muscle jerks, caused by their active contraction, or by a sudden loss of muscle activity. Myoclonus is caused by a number of different causes, which may have different anatomical correlates. However, a detailed history, clinical examination, neuroimaging methods and knowledge of neurophysiological testing can often narrow the diagnostic perimeter to a specific disease and thus significantly accelerate the diagnostic process. Within this framework, it is always necessary to first think about the exclusion of potentially reversible causes.

Keywords: myoclonus, classification of myoclonus, clinical examination, diagnostic approach.

Received: May 27, 2026; Revised: July 16, 2026; Accepted: July 20, 2026; Prepublished online: July 20, 2026; Published: October 2, 2026  Show citation