How Do You Spell ATHETOSIS?

Pronunciation: [ˌaθɪtˈə͡ʊsɪs] (IPA)

Athetosis is a medical term used to describe a condition of involuntary, slow, and writhing movements of the limbs, torso, and face. This term derives from the Greek word 'a-' for "without," and 'thetos' for "placed," resulting in the prefix and suffix combination of 'a-' and '-thetosis.' It is pronounced as /æθəˈtoʊsɪs/ (uh-thuh-toh-sis) in the International Phonetic Alphabet. Athetosis is usually caused by damage to the basal ganglia in the brain, and it can be both debilitating and challenging to treat.

ATHETOSIS Meaning and Definition

1. Athetosis is a medical term used to describe a neurological movement disorder characterized by slow, involuntary, writhing, and twisting movements of the limbs and sometimes the face. These movements are often irregular and unpredictable, making it challenging for affected individuals to control or maintain normal posture. Athetosis is typically caused by damage or dysfunction in the basal ganglia, a part of the brain that plays a crucial role in coordinating and controlling voluntary movement.

   People with athetosis often experience difficulty in performing simple everyday tasks that require fine motor skills, such as writing, tying shoelaces, or buttoning clothes. The condition can also affect speech and swallowing. Athetosis may be accompanied by other neurological symptoms, such as muscle weakness, spasticity, and abnormal reflexes.

   Athetosis can be congenital, meaning it is present at birth, or acquired later in life due to factors like brain injury, infections, or disorders such as cerebral palsy. Treatment for athetosis primarily focuses on managing symptoms and improving quality of life. This may involve a combination of physical therapy, occupational therapy, medication, and assistive devices.

   In summary, athetosis is a movement disorder characterized by slow, involuntary, writhing movements predominantly affecting the limbs. It is typically caused by dysfunction in the basal ganglia and can significantly impact an individual's motor skills and daily activities.

2. A condition in which there is a constant succession of slow involuntary movements of flexion, extension, pronation, and supination of the fingers and hands, and sometimes of the toes and feet.

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

Common Misspellings for ATHETOSIS

• zthetosis
• sthetosis
• wthetosis
• qthetosis
• arhetosis
• afhetosis
• aghetosis
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• a6hetosis
• a5hetosis
• atgetosis
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• atnetosis
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• atyetosis
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• athdtosis
• thetosis
• tahetosis
• athetosiss
• athatosis
• atherosise
• othecosis
• athtetosises
• ammetosis
• Archetosia
• anmatosis
• Atehatosis
• Athethosis

Etymology of ATHETOSIS

The word "athetosis" is derived from the Greek roots "a-" meaning "without" and "thetos" meaning "placed" or "positioned". In medicine, "athetosis" refers to a condition characterized by slow, involuntary, writhing movements, usually affecting the hands, fingers, and sometimes other parts of the body.

Similar spelling words for ATHETOSIS

• athetesis,
• athetizes,
• Athetoses,
• atheteses,
• Hemi-athetosis,
• athetises.

Plural form of ATHETOSIS is ATHETOSES