Course Objectives:

The basal ganglia in health and disease This module will discuss the anatomy and physiology of the basal ganglia from a functional point of view.   The role of the basal ganglia in health and disease will be explored with major attention focus to clinical examinations at the bedside. A functional approach to the diagnosis and treatment of movement disorders Central to a functional approach to the diagnosis and treatment of movement disorders is a thorough understanding of the clinical assessment of patients. Examination techniques and supporting investigations will be explored in a patient base paradigm of healthcare. The integration of a multi-sensorial system provides a unique opportunity for clinical applications. Syndromes of hypomobility and akinesia This module addresses much more than rigid symptomatology in many movement disorders.   It is central for the understanding of joint position error and fixation in the axial skeleton and extremities. Many diseases forms present with combinations of akinetic phenomenology. A differential diagnostic approach to the understanding of different lesions of the nervous system with similar presentations will be embraced.