Movement Disorders

Welcome to the Movement Disorders Clinic where we see children with complex movement disorders or complex neurological symptoms.

Conditions treated at this clinic treat include:

• ataxia
• cerebral palsy
• chorea
• dystonia
• Huntington’s disease
• metabolic movement disorders
• myoclonus
• parkinsonism
• rigidity

Children with movement disorders will be evaluated by Dr Santosh Mordekar and his team at Ryegate Children’s Centre. The clinics occur three times a year.

About movement disorders

Movement disorders affect the way a child’s body moves. These conditions can include too much or too little movement, or co-ordination problems.

Movement disorders may be caused by injuries to the brain, genetic or metabolic conditions, medications, inflammatory or autoimmune disorders, or prior infections.

Signs and symptoms of movement disorders include:

• repetitive eye blinking, facial movements, sniffing, coughing, throat clearing, squeaks, squeals or speech (tics)
• jerks of the neck or body (myoclonus)
• problems with balance and coordination (ataxia)
• uncontrolled jerky movements (chorea)
• abnormal twisting postures (dystonia)
• rhythmic back and forth motions of a body part (tremor)

What to do before your visit

During your visit to the Paediatric Movement Disorders Clinic, your child may be videotaped to document abnormal movements as part of their medical record and for research purposes.

If possible, please film the range of your child’s abnormal movements before your visit and bring this video to your appointment, especially if the movements only occur intermittently. This will help us in making a diagnosis if abnormal movements don’t occur during your appointment.