Movement disorders after stroke in adults: a review.

Background: Movement disorders occur in association with stroke and may have important clinical implications.

Methods: We reviewed the medical literature regarding the clinical phenomenology, prevalence, localization and etiologic implications, and treatments for movement disorders occurring after stroke in adult patients.

Results: Movement disorders occur uncommonly after stroke and include both hyperkinetic and parkinsonian conditions.

Detection of atrial fibrillation in patients with acute stroke.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and paroxysmal AF (PAF) are common causes of stroke which may not be detected by a single electrocardiogram (EKG). We conducted a prospective study to determine if 48 hours of telemetry monitoring increased the rate of detection of AF in patients with acute stroke and thus identified patients requiring anticoagulation. One hundred and fifty consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke were placed on telemetry monitoring for 48 hours.