Types of Movement Disorders

Movement disorders can manifest in myriad ways, with symptoms ranging from the subtle to the disabling. The most important part of the treatment plan for anyone affected by Parkinson's disease or other movement disorder is a dedicated team of specialists who can monitor your progress and support your optimal health with the latest therapies.

Although curing Parkinson's disease is not yet possible, treatment for movement disorders is a field in transformation. Every year, more insights on underlying causes and techniques for managing symptoms emerge through tireless research and dedicated innovation at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

For example, promising therapies involving neuromodulation are reshaping the outlook for those living with dystonia, essential tremor, Parkinson's disease and Tourette disorders.

• Ataxia — Persons who are diagnosed with ataxia experience a failure of muscle control in their arms and legs which may result in a lack of balance, coordination, and possibly a disturbance in gait. Ataxia may affect the fingers, hands, arms, legs, body, speech, and even eye movements.
   
• Dystonia — Dystonia is a neurological condition with a very broad range of manifestations. The basic underlying problem involves over-activity of the main muscles needed for a movement, extra activation of other muscles that are not needed for the movement, and simultaneous activation of muscles that work against each other.
   
• Essential Tremor — Essential tremor (ET) is the most common movement disorder. It is a progressive, often inherited disorder that usually begins in later adulthood. Patients with ET typically experience tremors when the arms are held up and when the hands are being used for activities like eating, drinking or writing.
   
• Parkinson's Disease — Parkinson's disease (PD or, simply, Parkinson's) is the most common form of parkinsonism, a group of motor system disorders. It is a slowly progressing, degenerative disease which results from the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells.
   
• Atypical Parkinsonisms — These disorders can produce signs and symptoms similar to those of Parkinson's disease, but do not respond to typical Parkinson's disease medications such as levodopa.

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