Glossary of Movement Disorder Terms

Question 1

akinesia

Answer 1

absence of movement

Question 2

bradykinesia

Answer 2

slowness of movement

Question 3

hypokinesia

Answer 3

decreased amplitude or range of movement

Question 4

akathisia

Answer 4

a feeling of inner general restlessness, which is reduced or relieved by moving around

Question 5

ataxia

Answer 5

an unsteady and swaying walk

Question 6

dysmetria

Answer 6

misjudging the distance to a target

Question 7

asynergia

Answer 7

a breakdown of movement, so that movements of the arms and legs become irregular and clumsy

Question 8

athetosis

Answer 8

slow, writhing, continuous, involuntary movements

Question 9

blepharospasm

Answer 9

a focal dystonia of the muscles surrounding the eyes which can result in sustained or forceful eyelid closure

Question 10

bradyphrenia

Answer 10

slowed thinking

Question 11

chorea

Answer 11

involuntary, irregular, purposeless, non-rhythmic, abrupt, rapid or unsustained movements that seem to flow from one body part to another

Question 12

Cortical basal ganglionic degeneration (CBGD)

Answer 12

This is an uncommon form of parkinsonism affecting one side of the body more than the other. The person with CBGD may have rigidity, dystonia, a mixed tremor at rest and on action and difficulty carrying out a pretended action, such as combing hair without a comb, brushing teeth without a toothbrush, or inserting a key without a key. Some people will be depressed, irritable or be unable to begin to do a certain task. Still others will have an arm or leg that seems to lift up or do what it wants without the person realizing it.

Question 13

Dyskinesia

Answer 13

a general term for any abnormal involuntary movement

Question 14

Tardive dyskinesia

Answer 14

is a term used for abnormal involuntary movements that begin after taking certain medications used to treat nausea or emotional problems. Tardive dyskinesia sometimes resembles chorea, dystonia, myoclonus, tics or tremor.

Question 15

dystonia

Answer 15

Dystonia refers to twisting movements and postures that tend to be sustained at the peak of the movement, often patterned and repetitive. Dystonia can progress to prolonged abnormal postures

Question 16

essential tremor

Answer 16

the most common movement disorder among adults and the most common cause of all tremors

Question 17

freezing

Answer 17

When someone freezes, the opposing muscle groups are simultaneously contracting. The ability to move is “blocked” and the person is “glued to a position” and feels “stuck.”

Question 18

hemifacial spasm

Answer 18

muscle contractions involving only one side of the face

Question 19

Huntington’s disease

Answer 19

an inherited progressively disabling disorder that causes problems with emotional control and thinking, as well as difficulty with coordination and stability.

Question 20

Lewy-Body disease

Answer 20

the pathological changes seen in Parkinson’s disease have spread beyond the brainstem to involve the cerebral cortex

Question 21

Multiple system atrophy

Answer 21

a sporadic, progressive disorder affecting four parts of the nervous system in varying degrees (basal ganglia, cerebellum, motor neurons, and autonomic function problems.

Question 22

Myoclonus

Answer 22

Myoclonic jerks are sudden, brief, shock like involuntary movements caused by muscle contractions (positive myoclonus) or sudden loss of muscle contractions, called inhibitions (or negative myoclonus).

Question 23

Myokymia

Answer 23

a fine persistent quivering or rippling of muscles

Question 24

Synkinesis

Answer 24

the occurence of involuntary movements in one part of the face when there is voluntary movement in another part of the face

Question 25

Parkinson’s disease

Answer 25

People with Parkinson’s disease have one or several of the following signs: tremor at rest, rigidity, bradykinesia, loss of postural reflexes, flexed posture and freezing

Question 26

Parkinsonism

Answer 26

any combination of six cardinal features: tremor at rest, bradykinesia, rigidity, flexed posture, freezing, and loss of postural reflexes.

Question 27

paroxysmal dyskinesias

Answer 27

movements that start suddenly and then disappear after being present for seconds, minutes, or hours

Question 28

Pediatric “neurotransmitter” disorders

Answer 28

Children may have trouble controlling their eye muscles or have loss of muscle tone (a form of weakness) in their neck, trunk, arms or legs. Some children have tremors. Others may be irritable or have developmental delays

Question 29

Postural reflexes

Answer 29

Loss of postural reflexes is a feature of parkinsonism that can contribute to falls or walking faster and faster with tiny steps

Question 30

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)

Answer 30

Problems encountered soon after PSP begins are unsteady walking and early frequent falls. The person walks with feet wide apart, an erect posture and unbent knees

Question 31

Restless legs syndrome

Answer 31

The term restless legs syndrome refers to more than just restless legs, where the person has unpleasant crawling, pulling or itchy feelings in the muscles or bones of the legs

Question 32

Rigidity

Answer 32

Rigidity may occur in the neck, chest wall, elbows, hips and knees forcing a person to bend over when seated, standing or lying down

Question 33

Stiff person syndrome

Answer 33

a progressive autoimmune disease in which a person experiences increased muscle rigidity, increased tone, and increased force required to move any body part associated with an inability to relax muscles

Question 34

Sydenham’s chorea

Answer 34

an uncommon autoimmune disease with dance-like movements, called chorea. It is often accompanied by emotional and thinking problems. Sydenham’s tends to occur in children and is associated with a past streptococcal group A infection, the same infection that also causes rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.

Question 35

Tardive dyskinesia and dystonia

Answer 35

Tardive Dystonia and Tardive Dyskinesia are abnormal involuntary movements that occur in people who are taking medication that “blocks the dopamine receptors” in order to treat gastrointestinal problems or emotional disturbances

Question 36

Tics

Answer 36

Tics are abnormal movements (motor tics) or abnormal sounds (phonic tics)

Question 37

Tortiollis

Answer 37

a focal dystonia of the neck muscles in which there is a simultaneous contraction of opposing muscle groups causing the neck to twist, tilt, shift, pull forwards or backwards

Question 38

Tourette syndrome

Answer 38

Tics consist of abnormal movements (motor tics) or abnormal sounds (phonic tics). When both types of tics are present, the diagnosis of Gilles de la Tourette syndrome or Tourette syndrome is commonly given

Question 39

Tremor

Answer 39

Tremor is an oscillation that is usually rhythmical and regular that affects one or more body parts, such as the arms, legs, neck, tongue, chin or vocal cords

Question 40

Tremor at rest

Answer 40

Tremor at rest is usually present in the fingers, wrists or lips while “at rest” and is a common sign of parkinsonism

Question 41

Wilson’s disease

Answer 41

an abnormal metabolic condition which allows copper to build up in the brain, eyes, liver and other tissues of the body. It is curable

Question 42

Writer’s cramp

Answer 42

a focal dystonia of the finger, hand or forearm in which there is a simultaneous contraction of those muscles while writing or doing specific skilled tasks

Question 43

Hypokinesias

Answer 43

cortical basal ganglionic degeneration, lewy-body disease, multiple system atrophy, olivopontocerebellar atrophy, parkinson’s disease, parkinsonism/parkinson plus syndromes, progressive supranuclear palsy, shy-drager syndrome, stiff person syndrome

Question 44

Hyperkinesias

Answer 44

Ataxia, blepharospasm, chorea, dystonia, hemifacial spasm, huntington’s disease, myoclonus, restless legs syndrome, sydenham’s chorea, tardive dyskinesia/tardive dystonia, tics, torticollis, tourette syndrome, tremor, wilson’s disease, writer’s cramp and musician’s cramp