ICS-Movement Disorders Flashcards
Extra-pyramidal lesions
Lesions of the basal ganglia. These cause disorders of starting/stopping and suppressing unwanted movements.
Three things that can cause Parkinsonism
1) Neurodegenerative disorders (Parkinson’s disease) 2) Drugs (deplete DA) 3) Genetic (Dopa Responsive Dystonia)
What are the characteristic features of Parkinsonism?
1) Bradykinesia 2) Rigidity (cogwheel) 3) Resting tremor 4) Flexed posture of neck, trunk & limbs 5) Loss of postural reflexes (initiating gait)
Key clinical features in patients with early Parkinson’s disease?
ASYMMETRIC resting tremor (66%), bradykinesia (100%, more prominent in affected limb), mild rigidity, response to DA replacement therapy. Postural instability and imbalance are rare in early Parkinson’s disease.
When do postural changes (Pisa posture) start to manifest in Parkinson’s disease?
More advanced stages
What things do you need to look at when a patient presents with a tremor?
Is it resting, postural and/or action tremor.
A patient presents to the neurology clinic complaining of difficulty signing checks. Physical exam reveals a postural (when holding hands out) and action tremor (using hands). Rapid hand movements are in tact. What type of tremor is this?
Central tremor
Most common causes of tremors in upper extremity
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A patient presents with a slow, resting and postural tremor in the left hand. She had a stroke two days ago in the right side of her midbrain. Physical exam reveals dysmetria on finger to nose test with the left hand. What type of tremor does she have?
This is the Holmes “Rubral” tremor. This is usually caused by a lesion in the midbrain.
How does chorea differ from a tremor?
Chorea is involuntary, continuous, unpredictable, jerky…dance-like movements.
Syndenham’s chorea
Chorea following post-strep infection that causes autoimmune attacking of the basal ganglia
What is the most common cause of chorea? What are other common causes of chorea?
Huntington’s disease, due to progressive degeneration of the caudate nucleus. Other causes include basal ganglia lesions (stroke, tumor), drug induced, metabolic disorders (thyroid), autoimmune and pregnancy.
Dystonia
Sustained muscle contractions, twisting, repetitive movements or abnormal postures. More focal in adults than in kids
Progression of chorea from slow and small to large and fast
Athetosis -> Chorea -> Ballism
Cervical dystonia
Twisty, jerky movements keep pulling the head until the head reaches a certain position.