title: Gender and Age Determinants of Psychogenic Movement Disorders: A Clinical Profile of 73 Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psychogenic movement disorders (PMD) is a group of disorders that cannot be attributed to any structural or biochemical abnormality, but has an underlying psychiatric illness. The profile of PMD varies according to country and socioeconomic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study reports the clinical profile of patients with PMD from India. Seventy-three patients with documented or clinically established PMD were seen over a period of 14 years with detailed neurological and psychiatric examinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age at presentation was 29.1±15.1 years (women, 51%). Approximately 30% were ≤18 years of age (boys, 63.6%). The onset of symptoms was abrupt in 61.6% and the initial body part most often affected was right upper limb (adults, 29.4%; children, 31.8%). Tremor was observed in 31.4% of adults and 9% of children, whereas myoclonus was more common in children (36.4%). Tremors were more often seen in women (42.3%) than in men (20%), whereas myoclonus was almost equally prevalent in girls (37.5%) and boys (35.7%). Depression was the most common psychiatric comorbidity (men, 16%; women, 15.4%). About 42.5% required hospital admission and 57.5% had significant reduction or complete cessation of PMD after counseling, antidepressants, and/ or placebo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PMD was equally prevalent among women and men. Tremor was most often observed in adults, whereas myoclonus was most often observed in children. Electrophysiology and placebo were useful supplementary tools for diagnosing PMD.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Neurology,National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences,Bangalore,Karnataka,India.
authors.forename: Nitish
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kamble
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Neurology,National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences,Bangalore,Karnataka,India.
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Prashantha
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Neurology,National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences,Bangalore,Karnataka,India.
authors.forename: Menka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jha
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Neurology,National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences,Bangalore,Karnataka,India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Netravathi
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Psychiatry,National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences,Bangalore,Karnataka,India.
authors.forename: Y C Janardhan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Neurology,National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences,Bangalore,Karnataka,India.
authors.forename: Pramod Kumar
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Pal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Dystonia; movement disorder; myoclonus; psychogenic; tremor