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Definition

Basal ganglia dysfunction is a problem with the basal ganglia, the deep brain structures that help start and control movement.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Conditions that cause injury to the brain can damage the basal ganglia. Such conditions include:

  • Drug overdose
  • Head injury
  • Infection
  • Liver disease
  • Metabolic problems
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Side effects of certain medications
  • Stroke
  • Tumors

Many brain disorders are associated with basal ganglia dysfunction. They include:

This list may not be all-inclusive.

Symptoms

Damage to the basal ganglia cells may cause problems with one's ability to control speech, movement, and posture. A person with basal ganglia dysfunction may difficulty starting, stopping, or sustaining movement. Depending on which area is affected, there may also be problems with memory and other thought processes.

In general, symptoms vary and may include:

  • Movement changes, such as:
    • Involuntary movements
    • Slowed movements
  • Increased muscle tone
  • Muscle spasms and muscle rigidity
  • Memory loss
  • Problems finding words
  • Tremor
  • Uncontrollable, repeated movements, speech, or cries (tics)
  • Walking difficulty
Signs and tests

The health care provider will perform a complete physical and neurological exam. Depending on the results, blood tests and imaging studies of the brain may be needed.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the cause of the disorder.

Expectations (prognosis)

How well a person does depends on the cause of the dysfunction. Some causes are reversible, while others require lifelong treatment.

Calling your health care provider

Call your health care provider if you have any abnormal or involuntary movements, unexplainable falls, or if you or others notice that you are shaky or slow.

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14y ago

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Related Questions

What happens when the basal ganglia is damaged?

Damage to the basal ganglia cells may cause problems with one's ability to control speech, movement, and posture. A person with basal ganglia dysfunction may have difficulty starting, stopping, or sustaining movement.Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders.


What is the most significant neurotransmitter in the basal ganglia?

What is the most significant neurotransmitter in the basal ganglia? dopamine


Where are the basal ganglia located in vertebrates?

In vertebrates the basal ganglia is located in the base of the forebrain. The basal ganglia is associated with a variety of functions such as voluntary motor control, eye habits and emotional functions.


Unwanted muscle contractions are inhibited by what?

The Basal Nuclei or the Basal Ganglia


What is the plural form for ganglion?

The plural of ganglion is ganglia or ganglions.


The lentiform nucleus the caudate and other nuclei are collectively called the what?

The basal ganglia include the following masses of gray matter in the interior of each cerebral hemisphre: # Caudate nucleus # Lentiform nucleus # Amygdaloid nucleus A structure associated with the basal ganglia is the internal capsule.It is a large mass of white matter located between the caudate and lentiform nuclei and between the lentiform nucleus and thalamus. The caudate nucleus, internal capsule, and lentiform nucleus constitute the corpus striatum, meaning striped body.


What symptoms can disruptions in portions of the basal ganglia cause?

Disruptions in other portions of the basal ganglia are thought to cause tics, tremors , dystonia, and a variety of other movement disorders


What is the most common area of ischemia in the brain?

basal ganglia


What are symmetric basal ganglia calcifications?

Basal ganglia calcification, also known as Fahr disease, is a rare genetically dominant, inherited neurological disorder characterized by abnormal deposits of calcium in areas of the brain that control movement.Build-up in your basal ganglia can also happen because of infection, problems with your parathyroid gland, and for other reasons. When it happens this way, it is also known as basal ganglia calcification, but is different from the genetic form of the disease.


Does the cerebral and basal ganglia is same?

Not really. Basal ganglia are a grouping of nerve cell bodies that are associated with various parts of the brain, mostly for sensory input, and one of these associations is the cerbrum.


What will happen if there are lesions in basal ganglia?

As basal ganglia is involved in controlling your muscle activity, any lesions or damages to your basal ganglia might cause hypertonia and/or various abnormal involuntary and purposeless movements. Some examples of diseases that are related to basal ganglia are parkinson's disease, chorea, athetosis and hemiballismus.


What is the role of the basal ganglia in producing movement?

The basal ganglia send output messages to the motor cortex, helping to initiate movements, regulate repetitive or patterned movements, and control muscle tone