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Tic‐induced gait dysfunction
Author(s) -
Fasano Alfonso,
Růžička Evžen,
Bloem Bastiaan R.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
movement disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.352
H-Index - 198
eISSN - 1531-8257
pISSN - 0885-3185
DOI - 10.1002/mds.25018
Subject(s) - tics , gait , physical medicine and rehabilitation , gait disturbance , tourette syndrome , movement disorders , psychology , medicine , disease , psychiatry , pathology
Background: Many neurological disorders impair gait, but only a few of them are episodic or paroxysmal, the most important ones being freezing of gait and paroxysmal dyskinesias. Methods: We describe 4 patients with tic disorders (3 with Tourette syndrome, and 1 with a tic disorder secondary to vascular disease) in whom intrusion of complex motor tics interfered with normal progression of stepping, thus producing an episodic gait disorder. Results: The involuntary movements that interfered with gait had features typical for tics, including their brief, sudden, irresistible, inapposite, and nonrhythmic recurrence. The motor behavior resembled tripping (n = 2), “blocking” of gait, or hip movements minimally interfering with gait. Conclusions: Tic‐induced gait disturbance is an episodic gait disorder occurring in patients with tics and should be recognized as a possible cause of episodic gait disturbances. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society