III./3. Movement disorders
Annamária Takáts, Gertrúd Tamás, Benjámin Bereznai, Loránd Erőss
The aim of this chapter is to provide an aid for learning the classification of movement disorders, and the characteristic features and treatment of individual disorders at a basic level.
In addition to the reading of this e-learning material, the websites recommended below should also be helpful.
Movement disorders or diseases of the basal ganglia were previously called extrapyramidal diseases.
The motor cortex and spinal motoneurons are connected by only one direct pathway, the corticospinal (pyramidal) tract. All information from the cortex concerning movement – voluntary or involuntary – reaches the spinal cord via this tract; the corticospinal tract is the only executive pathway.
Several nervous structures and pathways take part in the regulation of movement and muscle tone. In addition to the corticospinal tract, several descending pathways end on the spinal motoneurons (e.g.
rubrospinal, tectospinal, vestibulospinal tracts, etc.), but these tracts do not originate from the motor cortex.
Movement disorders are divided into two major groups: One group is characterized by akinetic – rigid clinical symptoms (Parkinson’s disease and Parkinsonian syndromes), and the other group by involuntary, abnormal hyperkinesia/dyskinesia (e.g. Huntington’s disease).
The most common involuntary movements include chorea, athetosis, ballism, dystonia, tremor, and tics (see Definitions).
The time required to learn a given section of this chapter is provided with each section.
Learning units of this chapter
III./3.1. Movement disorders with akinetic – rigid symptoms III./3.1.1. Parkinson’s disease
III./3.1.1.1 Pharmacotherapy of Parkinson's disease III./3.1.2. Parkinsonian syndrome (parkinsonism, atypical parkinsonian disorders) in neurodegenerative diseases III./3.2.1. Essential tremor
III./3.2.2. Huntington’s disease
III./3.2.3.1 Classification of dystonia
III./3.2.3.2 Clinical and pathological characteristics of dystonia
III./3.2.3.3 Dystonia syndromes III./3.2.3.4 Diagnosis of dystonia
III./3.3.1. Wilson’s disease
III./3.3.2. Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation
III./3.4. Deep brain stimulation in movement disorders
References
Suggested Hungarian literature:
Szirmai I.: Neurológia, Medicina Könyvkiadó, 2005.
Takáts Annamária (szerk.): Parkinso – kór és egyéb mozgászavarok, Melánia Kiadó, 2001.
Komoly S., Palkovits M.: Gykorlati neurológia és neuroanatómia.
Medicina Könyvkiadó, 2010.
