Movement Disorders

Movement disorders are commonly encountered by the general practitioner and can be divided into 2 broad categories: hypokinetic and hyperkinetic. The former involves loss or slowing of movement, whereas the latter is characterized by excessive and involuntary movements. A careful history will guide the examiner to the appropriate category of movement disorders. As no laboratory test or radiologic study is confirmatory for these disorders, diagnosis must be made clinically and the neurologic examination is indispensable. In this article, we discuss physical examination techniques that will help diagnose common movement disorders.