Condition Lookup
Category:
Movement Disorders
Number of Conditions: 7
Essential Tremor
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Movement Disorders
Symptoms:
uncontrollable shaking or trembling, usually in the hands; worsened tremor with intentional movement; tremor in head, voice, or legs (less common); difficulty with precise tasks like writing or using utensils
Root Cause:
Abnormal functioning of the cerebellum and its connections; the exact cause is often idiopathic or linked to genetic factors.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical assessment of symptoms, family history, neurological exam, ruling out other conditions such as Parkinson's disease or thyroid disorders.
Treatment:
Lifestyle modifications (e.g., avoiding caffeine), physical or occupational therapy, medications, and in severe cases, surgical intervention.
Medications:
Medications prescribed may include beta-blockers like propranolol , which reduce tremor intensity, and anticonvulsants like primidone , which help calm overactive nerve activity. Other options include benzodiazepines for stress-induced tremors and botulinum toxin injections for localized tremors.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 4% of people over 40; prevalence increases with age.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history, age, exposure to certain neurotoxins.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Progresses gradually over time; symptoms can be managed effectively but not cured.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Difficulty performing daily tasks, social anxiety, physical discomfort from persistent tremors.
Dystonia
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Movement Disorders
Symptoms:
involuntary muscle contractions; twisting or repetitive movements; abnormal postures affecting a single body part or multiple areas; pain due to sustained contractions
Root Cause:
Dysfunction in the basal ganglia, leading to disrupted muscle control and coordination; often genetic or secondary to trauma or medication.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation, genetic testing (if hereditary dystonia is suspected), and neuroimaging to rule out structural brain abnormalities.
Treatment:
Physical therapy, medications, botulinum toxin injections, and in severe cases, deep brain stimulation (DBS).
Medications:
Prescribed medications include anticholinergics like trihexyphenidyl to reduce abnormal muscle activity, muscle relaxants like baclofen , and dopamine-depleting agents like tetrabenazine for certain subtypes.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 16 per 100,000 people, with variations based on subtype.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history, brain injury, certain medications (e.g., antipsychotics).
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Symptoms may stabilize or worsen over time; treatment improves quality of life but does not cure the condition.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic pain, difficulty performing daily tasks, psychological stress or depression.
Tourette Syndrome
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Movement Disorders
Symptoms:
motor tics such as blinking, shoulder shrugging, or facial grimacing; vocal tics such as throat clearing, grunting, or repetitive words/phrases; symptoms often worsen with stress or excitement
Root Cause:
Dysfunction in the basal ganglia, cortex, and thalamus, potentially linked to abnormal neurotransmitter activity, including dopamine.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation based on the presence of motor and vocal tics persisting for at least one year, typically beginning in childhood or adolescence.
Treatment:
Behavioral therapy, habit-reversal training, medications, and in severe cases, deep brain stimulation (DBS).
Medications:
Prescribed medications include dopamine blockers like haloperidol or aripiprazole , alpha-adrenergic agonists like clonidine or guanfacine , and occasionally botulinum toxin for localized tics.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 1% of children, with symptoms often improving into adulthood.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history, male gender, co-occurring conditions like ADHD or OCD.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Symptoms often decrease in intensity over time; most individuals lead normal lives with appropriate management.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Social and emotional challenges, co-occurring psychiatric conditions like anxiety or depression.
Chorea
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Movement Disorders
Symptoms:
involuntary, rapid, and unpredictable movements affecting limbs, face, or trunk; difficulty with voluntary movement or coordination; worsened symptoms during stress
Root Cause:
Dysfunction in the basal ganglia due to conditions like Huntington's disease, autoimmune processes, or medication side effects.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical assessment, neuroimaging, and blood tests to identify underlying causes.
Treatment:
Management depends on the cause; medications, physical therapy, and in some cases, addressing autoimmune or metabolic conditions.
Medications:
Prescribed medications include dopamine-depleting agents like tetrabenazine , antipsychotics like risperidone , and anti-inflammatory drugs for autoimmune-related chorea.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare, varies with underlying condition (e.g., Huntington's disease prevalence is 10 per 100,000).
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic conditions (e.g., Huntington’s), autoimmune diseases, medication side effects.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Depends on the underlying cause; can range from manageable to progressive and debilitating.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Difficulty with daily activities, injuries from falls, psychological stress.
Athetosis
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Movement Disorders
Symptoms:
slow, writhing, involuntary movements; movements often affect hands, face, or tongue; difficulty maintaining steady posture
Root Cause:
Damage to the basal ganglia or cerebral palsy; often due to brain injury, stroke, or birth complications.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Observation of symptoms, neuroimaging to identify brain damage or injury, and ruling out other movement disorders.
Treatment:
Physical and occupational therapy, medications, and in some cases, surgical interventions.
Medications:
Prescribed medications include anticholinergics like trihexyphenidyl , muscle relaxants like baclofen , and botulinum toxin injections for specific areas.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare; often occurs as a symptom of another condition like cerebral palsy.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Birth injury, hypoxia, brain trauma.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Chronic but non-progressive; symptoms can be managed to improve function and quality of life.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Difficulty with motor tasks, joint problems, speech and swallowing difficulties.
Tardive Dyskinesia
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Movement Disorders
Symptoms:
involuntary repetitive movements, such as grimacing, lip-smacking, or tongue movements; jerky limb or torso movements; symptoms may worsen with stress
Root Cause:
Chronic use of dopamine-blocking medications (e.g., antipsychotics) causing long-term changes in dopamine receptors.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical observation, detailed medication history, and ruling out other causes of movement disorders.
Treatment:
Discontinuation or reduction of causative medication, switching to atypical antipsychotics, and use of specific medications.
Medications:
Prescribed medications include VMAT2 inhibitors like valbenazine or deutetrabenazine to reduce dopamine-related movements.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 20% of long-term antipsychotic users.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Long-term use of antipsychotics, older age, female gender.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Symptoms may persist even after stopping the medication, but some cases improve over time.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Social embarrassment, functional impairments, psychological distress.
Cerebellar Ataxia
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Movement Disorders
Symptoms:
uncoordinated movements; difficulty walking or maintaining balance; slurred speech; fine motor difficulties
Root Cause:
Dysfunction or damage to the cerebellum caused by stroke, genetic disorders, toxins, or chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation, neuroimaging (MRI or CT), and genetic testing if hereditary ataxia is suspected.
Treatment:
Symptom management through physical therapy, treating the underlying cause, and medications for specific symptoms.
Medications:
Prescribed medications are typically supportive, such as amantadine for fatigue, baclofen for spasticity, or gabapentin for neuropathic pain.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Varies widely depending on the cause; hereditary forms are rare.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history, alcohol abuse, stroke, toxin exposure.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Depends on the cause; progressive in genetic forms, but manageable in acquired cases with treatment.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Difficulty with daily activities, risk of falls, and emotional distress.