Movement disorders
Clinical discoveries through collaborative research
Mayo Clinic is committed to advancing the understanding of the mechanisms of movement disorders, with clinical, lab, and genetic experts devoted to research that improves outcomes for patients. These efforts include searching for new biomarkers of disease as well as genetic causes, which, when confirmed, are added to our autoimmune and genetic test offerings. These same experts are available to help guide physicians in test ordering and results interpretation, lending their depth of experience in diagnosing and treating movement disorders to ordering physicians.
“As we learn more about these conditions, we are translating those advances into better testing for better patient care.”
Andrew McKeon, M.B., B.Ch., M.D., director of Neuroimmunology Laboratory
News and updates
The latest
In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to explore recent examples of diagnostic innovations that are improving patient care. Dr. Pritt also welcomes Matthew Schultz, Ph.D., a clinical biomedical geneticist at Mayo Clinic, to discuss how a novel test is delivering answers for patients with a recently identified peripheral neuropathy.
A tenacious fighter, Joy Carol never lost hope that a mysterious condition that had stripped her of her ability to move would be identified. Hope turned into reality when a Mayo Clinic Laboratories test identified the cause of her illness and opened the door to successful treatment.
Div Dubey, M.B.B.S., explains Mayo Clinic Laboratories' phenotypic testing approach for autoimmune axonal neuropathy. The comprehensive, serologic panel detects for antibodies with clinical relevance to the disease to provide clarity on etiology, prognosis, and treatment choices.
John Mills, Ph.D., explains Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ approach to MAG antibody testing. The ELISA-based assay uses higher reference ranges and human MAG antigen to detect MAG antibodies, which are associated with a rare, hard-to-treat condition known as DADS neuropathy.
The discovery of Kelch like protein 11 (KLHL11) IgG as a specific biomarker of neurological autoimmunity associated testicular germ cell tumor.
In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Andrew McKeon, M.B., B.Ch., M.D., reviews the use of neurological phenotype-based evaluations, the move away from the paraneoplastic evaluation, and upcoming changes to test profiles.
A movement disorder might be caused by the body’s immune system, which is meant to fight infections, suddenly attacking the brain. Fortunately, an “autoimmune movement disorder” can often be treated—once its cause is discovered.