Citation

Fasano A, Růžička E, Bloem BR. Mov. Disord. 2012; 27(7): 911-913.

Affiliation

Department of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, AFaR-Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Rome, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Movement Disorders Society, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/mds.25018

PMID

22517191

Abstract

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.

Language: en