Involuntary Movement & Movement Disorders

What is akinesia?

• Inability to initiate movement

• Commonly seen with Parkinson disease

What is bradykinesia?

Abnormally slow movement

What is ataxia?

Inability to perform coordinated movements

What is athetosis?

• Slow, twisting, writhing involuntary movements

• Large in amplitude

• Commonly associated with basal ganglia pathology

What is chorea?

• Sudden, brief, irregular involuntary movements

• Rapid movements

• Often described as "fidgeting"

• Seen in Huntington disease

What is dystonia?

• Sustained muscle contractions

• Causes twisting movements

• Produces abnormal postures

• May cause repetitive movements

What are tics?

• Sudden

• Brief

• Repetitive

• Coordinated movements

• Usually occur at irregular intervals

• May include vocalizations

• Seen in Tourette syndrome

What is dysdiadochokinesia?

Inability to perform rapidly alternating movements

What is dysmetria?

• Inability to control the range of movement

• Inability to appropriately control the force of muscular activity

What is clonus?

• Characteristic of UMN lesions

• Involuntary alternating spasmodic muscle contractions

• Precipitated by a quick stretch reflex

What is cogwheel rigidity?

• Rigidity with a ratchet-like quality

• Resistance occurs throughout ROM

• Often associated with Parkinson disease

What is lead-pipe rigidity?

• Uniform resistance throughout ROM

• Constant resistance to passive movement

• Often associated with basal ganglia lesions

What are fasciculations?

• Random twitching/discharge of a lower motor neuron and its muscle fibers

• Suggests LMN disease

• Can occasionally be benign

What is hemiballism?

• Involuntary, violent movement

• Involves a large body part