Myoclonus while awake in my toddler

[Brownie74]

My son is 17 months old. He had viral croup this weekend, and on Monday I noticed while awake (and sleeping), he had twitches that were in his face, hands/arms/legs/feet, head and his back. They were only noticed in a quiet state (watching TV). He was mostly responsive following this restful state, but there were times when he was not and it took a minute for him to respond (toddler ignoring me? Or absence seizures?). We were instructed to take him to the ER and everything was "normal"(no fever noted in all of this), but the attending referred us to a neurologist and for an EEG. My son woke every one to two minutes last night with this jerking motions, which caused him to cry and move around a great deal (he has been fairly off schedule in his sleep lately due to being ill, a trip to the ER and neurologist). I know nocturnal myoclonus is normal, but I'm not sure like that and I don't think it is supposed to happen when he is alert and awake. He saw the neurologist who said he seemed normal, but wanted the EEG done. That was done today and the preliminary look from the EEG tech was that it appeared normal (although that was off the record). If the EEG is normal, what could we be dealing with? He is fine developmentally with over 60-70 words, walking, fine motor, etc.. We have never noticed the twitching before but also never were looking for it. What could this be if it is not epilesy? Could it be the sign of something more sinister? I have read alot on the internet, but he is not ataxic and I have not noticed anything unusual with the eyes. He never interrupts play and just stares out into the distance...so I don't feel that it is seizure-related. I am a physical therapist, so I have a watchful eye when it comes to my son. Please help! I am losing sleep and am very concerned for him. Thank you!

[dawmew]

Hi brownie i know its been awhile since your posting.  My son is 4 yrs old and experiencing the same thing.  What was the outcome of your son?

[s_han]

I just sent you my info as a message, please check you inbox. My 3 1/2 year old daughter has been having the exact same issue for the pass 3 nights. Love to know if you've found anything out about your son. I hope he is doing well. Please let me know how is is doing and if you learned anything new. Thank you so much.

[Brownie74]

Preliminary neurology exam was unremarkable according to the doctor.

[Brownie74]

Hello. It is now almost 10 days later and my son is still experiencing significant twitching. However, it is now mostly in his face and almost constant at this point. We will be getting bloodwork, and we have some of the twitching on video. The neurologist wanted to see the video before saying more. What else could this be?

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

A normal EEG does not rule out seizures. Ideally, one should have three EEGs over a period of 2-3 months. If all are normal, one can say with more confidence that this is not a seizure. In many cases, inter-ictal (between the episodes) EEG is normal.

He has myoclonic jerks. These could be post viral syndrome.

Was his neurological examination normal?

Regards