Movement disorders are a group of nervous system disorders that affect your movement. Depending on the particular disorder in question, you may experience an increase or decrease in movement, which you may (or may not) be able to control.
Types of movement disorder
There are many different types of movement disorders. Some are well-known, others are less common.
Rhythmic movement disorder
It’s quite common for babies and young children to exhibit rhythmic movements as they settle themselves to sleep. You may notice that your child rocks their body, rolls their head from side to side, bangs their head or hums.
Researchers are still trying to understand the reason for this behaviour. Such rhythmic patterns may help your child relax and fall asleep, perhaps by mimicking the feeling of being rocked in someone’s arms. Other researchers think that these rhythmic movements happen because of an immature nervous system, which means your child can’t yet control their motor functions while sleeping.
Most children grow out of these rhythmic movements by the age of 2 or 3. In some cases, though, rhythmic movement disorder persists and can be associated with other conditions like autism, ADHD and Tourette syndrome.
Periodic limb movement disorder
In periodic limb movement disorder, your legs and arms twitch, flex and jerk every 20-40 seconds as you sleep. It may last for minutes or hours. You’re completely unaware of this and can’t control it but you wake up feeling tired and irritable – and so does anyone who shares a bed with you!
The exact cause of periodic limb movement disorder hasn’t yet been found but many researchers think it originates in the central nervous system. Periodic limb movement disorder may be influenced by:
- Some medications
- Caffeine
- Other sleep problems
- ADHD
- Iron deficiency anaemia
- Diabetes or kidney disease.
Periodic limb movement disorder becomes more common with age and may affect up to 40% of over-65s. It’s diagnosed through a sleep study and review of your medical history. Lifestyle changes may help and medication may be prescribed for severe cases.
Rapid eye movement behaviour disorder
In rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, you act out your dreams during your sleep.
Normally during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, your body experiences a temporary paralysis. Your brain is active and dreaming but most of your muscles can’t move. No matter how adventurous your dreams become, your body stays still.
In rapid eye movement behaviour disorder, this paralysis doesn’t happen. Your body and voice act out your dreams while you sleep.
Less than 1% of people develop rapid eye movement behaviour disorder and most are over 50. The disease is associated with other neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s disease, Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy.
The dreams associated with REM sleep behaviour disorder can be intense and frightening. You may yell, scream, punch, kick or jump out of bed. Proper diagnosis and treatment are important to protect yourself and your partner from harm. Your doctor may conduct a neurological examination, review your medical history and order a sleep study.
Chorea movement disorder
Chorea causes involuntary, unpredictable body movements from mild fidgeting to flailing limbs. Those movements can interfere with your speech, posture, gait and ability to swallow.
Chorea is a common symptom of Huntington’s disease, along with cognitive decline and mood changes.
Functional movement disorder
Functional movement disorder involves involuntary movements even though there’s nothing officially wrong with your nervous system. The movements are random and unpredictable, thought to be caused by a problem with the way signals are sent through the brain.
Treating movement disorders
If you’re concerned about a possible movement disorder, please see your GP. They may conduct a neurological exam, order some tests or refer you to a neurologist or sleep physician.
Once you have a diagnosis, please follow your doctor’s advice for treatment. Your treatment will depend on the type of movement disorder you have and on your overall health and lifestyle.
Treatment for movement disorders may include:
- Physiotherapy
- Medication
- Lifestyle modifications, including stress management.
How Neurofit Brain Centre can help
At Neurofit Brain Centre, we believe brain activity makes an active difference. We offer brain-based therapies, which may help ease symptoms of movement disorders. In particular, we use Neurosage, a computer program that uses carefully created brain-based video games to stimulate the brain through sight, sound and movement.
Disclaimer
All information is general and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Neurofit Brain Centre can consult with you to confirm if a particular treatment approach is right for you.
References
- Mayo Clinic, Movement disorders, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/movement-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20363893, [Accessed 18 June 2024]
- Cleveland Clinic, Head banging and body rocking, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14305-head-banging-and-body-rocking, [Accessed 18 June 2024]
- Healthline, What is periodic limb movement disorder? https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-disorder-periodic-limb-movement, [Accessed 18 June 2024]
- Sleep Foundation, REM sleep behaviour disorder, https://www.sleepfoundation.org/parasomnias/rem-sleep-behavior-disorder, [Accessed 18 June 2024]
- Healthline, What is chorea? https://www.healthline.com/health/chorea, [Accessed 18 June 2024]
- Stanford Medicine, Functional movement disorder, https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/brain-and-nerves/functional-movement-disorders.html, [Accessed 18 June 2024]
