Movement Disorder

Movement disorders refer to a diverse group of neurological disorders that affect an individual’s ability to move their body as intended. Disorders of the movement can be caused by disorder of different parts of the brain that have an effect on the muscle and neural process of movement. Common examples of movement disorders include Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s disease, dystonia, tics, tremor, and chorea. Parkinson’s disease is the most commonly diagnosed movement disorder, caused by the decrease or death of certain neurons in the brain’s upper layer known as the substantia nigra. This decrease in neurons is caused by a lack of dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for communication between cells that directly affects movement. Other symptoms associated to this condition includes difficulty initiating voluntary movements, muscle rigidity, balance and posture difficulties, and difficulty speaking or swallowing. Huntington’s disease is a genetic disorder that is hereditary and affects the central nervous system. It is caused by the death of neurons in the brain, which leads to an impaired movement process resulting in jerky movements, stiff muscles, and difficulty controlling movement. Eventually, this disorder can cause damage to the surrounding brain, causing severe cognitive and behavioural impairments. Dystonia is another common movement disorder which is defined as a movement disorder that causes involuntary muscle contractions, resulting in abnormal and sometimes painful postures. The most common form of dystonia is focal dystonia, where the symptoms are isolated to one region of the body like the neck or face. Other forms of dystonia include task-specific dystonia (where the symptoms occur during specific tasks), and segmental dystonia (where multiple localized regions are affected). Each type of dystonia has its own individual symptoms and treatment options. Tics refer to persistent and difficult to control movements or sounds. Common forms of tics include blinking, twitching, grunting, tongue thrusting, and shaking.