[Psychogenic movement disorders]

Psychogenic movement disorders are movement disorders that cannot be attributed to any known organic disease and which are caused by an underlying psychiatric pathology or are due to voluntary simulation. They account for 1-3% of all movement disorders.

To review the literature and to update our knowledge on psychogenic movement disorders.

We review different aspects of psychogenic movement disorders, including their epidemiology, clinical diagnosis and diagnosis by means of complementary tests, types of psychogenic movement disorders, their treatment and prognosis. Psychogenic movement disorders must be diagnosed by a neurologist and it must not be simply a diagnosis of exclusion. The most frequent presenting symptom is tremor and this where most progress has been made, above all in the contributions made by neurophysiological tests to the diagnosis. Few studies have been conducted on specific treatment. It is necessary to treat the underlying psychiatric pathology, and psychotherapy in association with drugs is recommended if needed. The prognosis of psychogenic movement disorders continues to be insufficient, even with suitable treatment.

Although in recent years some progress has been made in our knowledge of psychogenic movement disorders, more research is needed to determine the mechanism underlying these pathologies, as well as the techniques and complementary tests that can help reach a diagnosis. Further studies on treatment are also required.