What Are Movement Disorders?

Movement Disorders are conditions characterized by abnormal form or timing of voluntary movement in individuals with normal strength and sensation. These conditions are caused by dysfunction of the cerebellum and basal ganglia, which are the systems devoted to implementation of motor plans developed in the cortex. There are three main categories:

• Hypokinetic – characterized by slow movement, rigidity, and rest tremor
• Hyperkinetic – characterized by involuntary movements that intrude into the normal flow of motor acts
• Ataxic – characterized by lack of speed and skill performing movements requiring coordination of several muscles

Movement Disorder Tests We Offer

The MNG portfolio of comprehensive and targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels offers a complete set of molecular diagnostic tests to diagnose movement disorders. These NGS panels include testing for repeat expansions, single-exon resolution copy number variation (CNV), single-nucleotide variants (nuclear and mitochondrial), and mitochondrial genome deletions.

Our Comprehensive Ataxia panel features a robust selection of genes clinically relevant to ataxia. To provide you and your patients a high degree of clinical sensitivity testing, we also provide Friedreich Ataxia and Huntington’s Disease repeat expansion testing in conjunction with or separately from the next-generation sequencing panel. Moreover, select ataxia panels include complimentary Spinocerebellar Ataxia repeat expansion testing.

For dystonia phenotypes, we offer a Comprehensive Dystonia panel, which also includes complimentary mtDNA sequencing with deletion analysis. For a more targeted approach, we offer early-onset Primary Dystonia and OXPHOS Defect Dystonia panels.

Parkinson's Disease Testing

Parkinson’s disease affects more than 4 million people worldwide. In the United States alone, more than 60,000 people will be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease this year.¹ Though primarily a movement disorder, the progressive neural degeneration caused by Parkinson’s results in a wide-range of neurological symptoms ranging from dementia, anxiety, and depression.¹  Our Parkinson’s Disease/Parkinsonism panel is designed to target Parkinson’s disease and other disorders that have partially overlapping symptomatology to ensure accuracy and sensitivity in the diagnosis for your patients.