What term describes rhythmic oscillatory movements of the body?

• A. Tics
• B. Dystonia
• C. Chorea
• D. Tremor

Answer: (D)

Rhythmic oscillatory movements describe a tremor. Tremor is an involuntary, rhythmic shaking of a body part. In Parkinson’s disease, the classic pattern is a resting tremor, often seen in the hands when the limb is relaxed and not actively moving, sometimes described as a “pill-rolling” motion. It typically decreases with voluntary movement and with sleep. This rhythmic quality helps distinguish tremor from other movement disorders: tics are sudden, brief, and can be suppressed; dystonia involves sustained or intermittent muscle contractions that cause abnormal postures; chorea consists of rapid, irregular, dance-like movements that are nonrhythmic and flow unpredictably from one muscle group to another.