A medical condition causing involuntary, jerky movements on one side of the body, usually resulting from damage to a specific part of the brain.
From Greek 'hemi-' meaning half and 'chorea' meaning dance, referring to the dance-like movements. The term has been used since the 1600s to describe this neurological symptom.
The term 'chorea' literally means 'dance,' and patients with hemichorea do seem to dance involuntarily—it's what happens when the striatum, the brain's movement-control center, gets damaged from stroke or other injuries.
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