Introduction and Overview Parkinsonism is a constellation of signs and symptoms that are characteristically observed in Parkinson disease (PD), but that are not necessarily due to PD. Parkinsonism, sometimes referred to as hypokinetic-rigid or akinetic-rigid syndrome, is the primary type of…
Introduction and Overview This chapter encompasses diseases and disorders of the cerebellum and its connections that cause problems coordinating movements. A vast number of conditions adversely affect cerebellar function in children, and thus, a systematic approach to diagnosis is helpful.…
Introduction and Overview Tremor is common in children and adults. Prevalent forms, such as essential tremor (ET), have been well-studied in adults, but in children are less well characterized. , Tremor in children most frequently occurs in the hands, but…
Introduction and Overview This chapter discusses diseases and disorders where myoclonus is a prominent feature or may be prominent in some cases. These include genetically determined as well as acquired conditions. Myoclonic movements are quick muscle jerks, and thus startle/hyperekplexia,…
Introduction and Overview The term “dystonia” appears to have been first used when Oppenheim applied the description “dystonia musculorum deformans” in 1911 to a progressive childhood-onset syndrome characterized by twisted postures, muscle spasms, bizarre walking with bending and twisting of…
Introduction and Overview This chapter discusses diseases and disorders where chorea, athetosis, and ballism are prominent. Chorea, athetosis, and ballism are nonpatterned, hyperkinetic movement disorders which overlap and cannot be defined precisely as mutually exclusive phenomena. However, they are characterized…
Introduction and Overview Paroxysmal dyskinesias represent a group of hyperkinetic movement disorders that are characterized by episodes of abnormal movements that occur intermittently and unpredictably out of a background of normal activity. The specific type of dyskinesia may be dystonia, chorea…
Introduction and Overview The definition, characteristics, classification, pathophysiology, disorders, and treatment of motor stereotypies continue to evolve. Historically, stereotypic movement disorders in children have been linked to autism and intellectual impairment, although they commonly occur in typically developing children. Motor…
Introduction Tourette syndrome (TS), listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) as Tourette disorder (TD), is named after the French physician Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who in 1885 reported nine patients with a…
Introduction The presence of a movement disorder in a child usually raises concerns about an underlying serious, progressive, degenerative, or metabolic disease. However, many movement disorders are benign and related to normal stages of development. In fact, it may be difficult…