Movement Disorders in Childhood

Motor Assessments

Introduction Clinical assessment of movement disorders requires careful visual observation in order to fully characterize the phenomenology and the severity of the disorder. The definitions presented in Chapter 3 and detailed characteristics of individual movement disorders provided in Chapter 7,…

Diagnostic Evaluation of Children With Movement Disorders

Introduction The approach to the diagnosis of a pediatric movement disorder often overlaps with other areas of pediatric medicine in requiring a careful medical, developmental, family, and social history and comprehensive physical examination. An additional requirement, however, is the need…

Classification of Movement Disorders

Introduction Movement disorders are neurological syndromes that involve impaired performance of voluntary movements, dysfunction of posture, the presence of abnormal involuntary movements, or the performance of normal-appearing movements at inappropriate or unintended times. The abnormalities of movement are not due…

Basal Ganglia Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology

Introduction The basal ganglia are large subcortical structures comprising several interconnected nuclei in the forebrain, diencephalon, and midbrain. Historically, the basal ganglia have been viewed as a component of the motor system. However, there is now substantial evidence that the…