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Updated: Jul 2, 2026
09:41
Comprehensive Autopsy Program for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
Published on: July 19, 2019
Movement disorders in multiple sclerosis: Causal or coincidental association?
V Nociti1, A R Bentivoglio, G Frisullo
1Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
|September 5, 2008
Summary
Movement disorders are uncommon in multiple sclerosis (MS), affecting only 1.6% of patients. While MS plaques often involve the basal ganglia, specific movement disorders like parkinsonism or spasms are rare clinical signs.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) frequently affects the basal ganglia and subthalamic nucleus.
- Movement disorders (MD) are generally considered uncommon in MS, except for tremor linked to cerebellar or brainstem lesions.
Observation:
- A study of 733 MS patients identified MD in 12 individuals (1.6%).
- Observed MD included parkinsonism, blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, hemidystonia, and tourettism.
Findings:
- MD in MS patients are often attributed to demyelinating disease.
- The causal relationship between MD and MS can be suggested even without response to steroid treatment or in the presence of lesions in critical brain regions.
Implications:
- Highlights the importance of considering MD in the differential diagnosis of MS patients with neurological symptoms.
- Suggests potential links between demyelination and specific movement disorder presentations in MS.
- Underscores the need for further research into the pathophysiology and management of MD in MS.
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