Cardiac Involvement in Movement Disorders

Abstract

Background Several conditions represented mainly by movement disorders are associated with cardiac disease, which can be overlooked in clinical practice in the context of a prominent primary neurological disorder.

Objectives To review neurological conditions that combine movement disorders and primary cardiac involvement.

Methods A comprehensive and structured literature search following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses criteria was conducted to identify disorders combining movement disorders and cardiac disease.

Results Some movement disorders are commonly or prominently associated with cardiac disease. Neurological and cardiac symptoms may share underlying physiopathological mechanisms in diseases, such as Friedreichʼs ataxia and Wilsonʼs disease, and in certain metabolic disorders, including Refsum disease, Gaucher disease, a congenital disorder of glycosylation, or cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis. In certain conditions, such as Sydenhamʼs chorea or dilated cardiomyopathy with ataxia syndrome (ATX‐DNAJC19), heart involvement can present early in the course of disease, whereas in others such as Friedreichʼs ataxia or Refsum disease, cardiac symptoms tend to present in later stages. In another 68 acquired or inherited conditions, cardiac involvement or movement disorders are seldom reported.

Conclusions As cardiac disease is part of the phenotypic spectrum of several movement disorders, heart involvement should be carefully investigated and increased awareness of this association encouraged as it may represent a leading cause of morbidity and mortality.