Movement Disorders

Question 1

What is athetosis?

Answer 1

Slow, writing, snake-like movements, esp in fingers

Question 2

What lesion is athetosis associated with?

Answer 2

Basal ganglia, eg Huntington’s

Question 3

What is chorea?

Answer 3

Sudden, jerky, purposeless

movements

Question 4

What lesion is chorea associated with?

Answer 4

Basal ganglia, eg Huntington’s

Question 5

What is dystonia?

Answer 5

Sustained, involuntary muscle

contractions

Question 6

What is essential tremor?

Answer 6

High-frequency tremor with 
sustained posture (e.g., 
outstretched arms), worsened 
with movement or when 
anxious

Question 7

What is the treatment for essential tremor?

Answer 7

B-blockers or primidone.

Question 8

What is hemiballismus?

Answer 8

Sudden, wild flailing of 1arm

+/− ipsilateral leg

Question 9

What is the lesion associated with hemiballismus?

Answer 9

Contralateral subthalamic

nucleus (e.g., lacunar stroke)

Question 10

What is intention tremor?

Answer 10

Slow, zig-zag movement when pointing/extending toward a target

Question 11

What is the lesion associated with intention tremor?

Answer 11

cerebellar dysfunction

Question 12

What is myoclonus?

Answer 12

Sudden, brief, uncontrolled muscle contraction.

Question 13

What is resting tremor?

Answer 13

Uncontrolled movement of distal appendages, most noticeable in hands. Tremor alleviated by intentional movement.

Question 14

What is resting tremor classic in?

Answer 14

Parkinson’s disease -“pill rolling”

Question 15

What structure is compromised in Parkinson’s disease?

Answer 15

Dopaminergic neurons of substantia nigra pars compacta. Appear depigmented!

Question 16

What are Lewy bodies of Parkinson’s composed of?

Answer 16

alpha synuclein - intracellular eosinophilic inclusions.

Question 17

What is the genetic abnormalities in Huntington’s?

Answer 17

Autosomal dominant trinucleotide repeat disorder (CAG) on Chromosome 4.

Question 18

What are the sx of huntingon’s?

Answer 18

Choreiform movements. Aggression, depression, dementia. Manifest between ages 20-50.

Question 19

What are the neurotransmitter abnormalities in huntingon’s?

Answer 19

Incr dopamine.
Decr GABA
Decr Ach

Question 20

What causes neuronal death in huntington’s?

Answer 20

NMDA-R binding and glutamate toxicity.

Question 21

What are the MRI findings of Huntington’s?

Answer 21

Atrophy of caudate nucleui w/ ex vacuo dilation of frontal horns.