Neurologic Manifestations of Systemic Disease: Movement Disorders

Purpose of review: To summarize the state of the art of therapeutic approaches for movement disorders occurring in the context of systemic disorders. These secondary movement disorders, e.g., parkinsonism, tremor, chorea, dystonia, ballism, ataxia, and dyskinesia, among others, can be transitory manifestations of systemic diseases or part of syndromes that combine systemic and neurological symptoms (e.g., Wilson’s disease). These conditions are frequently treatable and in certain cases also curable. Therefore, their recognition and treatment impact the outcomes of these patients. Recent findings: Most current knowledge on this topic is based on cohort studies and single case reports. There are a few large studies mostly in the context of movement disorders in cerebrovascular disease and Wilson’s disease. Summary: The management of movement disorders due to systemic disease is mostly achieved by treatment of the systemic conditions together with appropriate medical and surgical treatments for each manifestation. Specific considerations must be taken into account when managing the medications commonly used for movement disorders in the context of systemic disease compared to primary degenerative processes.