Movement Disorders

Types

Mayo Clinic doctors trained in brain and nervous system conditions (neurologists) and brain and nervous system surgery (neurosurgeons) treat a full range of movement disorders, including:

• Ataxia. Ataxia is a neurological condition that affects the part of your brain that controls coordinated movement (cerebellum). Ataxia may cause uncoordinated movements, imbalance and other symptoms.
• Dystonia. Dystonia is a neurological condition in which your muscles contract involuntarily and may cause twisting and repetitive movements. Dystonia may involve the entire body (generalized dystonia) or one part of the body (focal dystonia).
• Essential tremor. Essential tremor is a neurological condition that causes involuntary shaking (tremors). Your hands often are affected, but other parts of your body also may be affected.
• Huntington's disease. Huntington's disease is an inherited progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that causes certain nerve cells in your brain to deteriorate. This condition may cause uncontrolled movements, decreased thinking abilities (cognitive abilities), and emotional and mental health disturbances (psychiatric conditions).
• Multiple system atrophy. Multiple system atrophy is an uncommon, progressive neurological disorder that affects many areas of your brain and nervous system. Multiple system atrophy may cause ataxia or parkinsonism. This condition frequently impairs body systems that modulate your blood pressure, heart rate and bladder function (autonomic function).
• Myoclonus. Myoclonus is a condition in which you have sudden, jerky movements, twitching, or intermittent spasms of a muscle or group of muscles.
• Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects your movement and may cause shaking (tremor), muscle stiffness (rigidity), slowing of movement, impaired balance or other symptoms. Parkinsonism describes a group of conditions that has symptoms similar to those of Parkinson's disease.
• Progressive supranuclear palsy. Progressive supranuclear palsy is a rare neurological disorder that causes you to have problems with walking, balance and eye movements. It resembles Parkinson's disease but is a distinct condition.
• Restless legs syndrome. Restless legs syndrome causes unpleasant, abnormal feelings in your legs while you're relaxing or lying down. Your symptoms often are relieved by movement.
• Tardive dyskinesia. Tardive dyskinesia is a neurological condition caused by long-term use of certain drugs used to treat psychiatric conditions (neuroleptic drugs). Tardive dyskinesia causes repetitive and involuntary movements such as grimacing, eye blinking and other movements.
• Tourette syndrome. Tourette syndrome is a neurological condition which starts between childhood and teenage years and is associated with repetitive movements (motor tics) and vocal sounds (vocal tics).
• Wilson's disease. Wilson's disease is an inherited (genetic) disorder that causes excessive amounts of copper to build up in your body, causing neurological problems.

Read more about ataxia, dystonia, essential tremor, Huntington's disease, myoclonus, Parkinson's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, restless legs syndrome, Tourette syndrome and Wilson's disease.