15 - Pediatric movement disorders

Summary

Movement disorders are seldom considered when discussing pediatric neuropsychological disorders, despite their common presentation in a number of childhood conditions. This lack of consideration is most likely due to the general awareness that the quintessential movement disorders are ones known to primarily affect aging individuals, i.e. Parkinson and Huntington disorders. Hence, it is often surprising to pediatric neuropsychologists in training, as well as to persons outside the field, that Huntington disorder can arise in children and adolescents. Similarly, it is often a novel consideration for non-physicians that a well discussed neuropsychiatric disorder such as Tourette syndrome (TS) is most appropriately classified as a movement disorder, in response to its neurological etiology and attendant symptoms. Thus, there is a fairly wide “hole” in the neuropsychological literature in terms of understanding pediatric movement disorders and how they can be distinguished from disorders of motor control and executive functioning (see chapters in this volume by Tupper and by Mahone and Slomine). This is an interesting observation, given an increased interest in the pediatric movement disorders and advances in identification and treatment. It is the goal of this chapter to broaden the understanding of pediatric neuropsychologists and other child clinical specialists about the movement disorders, and to encourage further consideration of co-occurring disorders, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), that often complicate the diagnosis and treatment of movement disorders in children (Pliszka, Carlson & Swanson, 1999).