Trauma and movement disorders

Abstract

Movement disorders have been linked to trauma; however, these cases are uncommon and best substantiated if the movement disorder occurs in close temporal association with the trauma, occurs in context of other clinical signs of neurologic damage, and if evidence of CNS lesions on neuroimaging scans is evident. The pathophysiology of movement disorders relates to basal ganglia dysfunction, and traumatic lesions of peripheral nervous system structures or cortical regions could theoretically alter basal ganglia function indirectly and influence movement disorders. Parkinson's disease, the prototype of movement disorders, does not appear to be caused by trauma.