asterixis
Sign in to saveAlso known as flapping tremor, liver flap
Asterixis is a movement disorder that results in jerking of the hands or feet while attempting to hold a position. The resemblance of the hands to flapping wings gives it the colloquial name "flapping tremor" although it is a negative myoclonus rather than a tremor.
Key facts
- Medical condition (new).name
- Asterixis
- Medical condition (new).field
- Neurology
- Medical condition (new).synonyms
- Flapping tremor, liver flap
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Asterixis is a movement disorder that results in jerking of the hands or feet while attempting to hold a position. The resemblance of the hands to flapping wings gives it the colloquial name "flapping tremor" although it is a negative myoclonus rather than a tremor.
The disorder is caused by abnormal function of the diencephalic motor centers in the brain, which regulate the muscles involved in maintaining position. Asterixis is associated with various encephalopathies due especially to faulty metabolism. The term derives from the Greek a, meaning "not" and stērixis, meaning "support" or "stable position".