Movement Disorders in Patients with Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: A Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a rare, progressive neurological complication of measles infection.
• It presents with diverse symptoms including neuropsychiatric decline, seizures, and increasingly recognized movement disorders.
• While historically associated with developing nations, SSPE resurgence is noted globally.

Approach:

• A comprehensive literature review was performed using PubMed and EMBASE databases.
• The search focused on identifying and analyzing reported movement disorders in SSPE patients.
• Data collection occurred in December 2023.

Key Points:

• SSPE encompasses a broad spectrum of movement disorders, including hyperkinetic (chorea, dystonia, tremor, tics), hypokinetic (parkinsonism), and ataxia.
• Myoclonus, a hallmark of SSPE, is the most common abnormal movement observed.
• Movement disorders manifest across all disease stages and can even be an initial presentation, sometimes without myoclonus.

Conclusions:

• Movement disorders are integral to the clinical presentation of SSPE, varying in type and timing throughout disease progression.
• Current understanding relies heavily on case reports and small series, limiting definitive conclusions.
• Multicentric, longitudinal studies are essential to comprehensively map the spectrum and evolution of SSPE-associated movement disorders.