COVID-19 Vaccine-Related Movement Disorders: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Objectives: Since the release of vaccines against COVID-19, there have been reports of vaccine-related neurologic complications. This study aimed to create a descriptive systematic review of movement disorders associated with COVID-19 vaccines. Methods:We described the demographics, clinical presentation, management, outcomes, and proposed patho-mechanism. A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. A standardized tool was used to assess the quality of the cases. Results:We have identified 8 articles that met our inclusion criteria consisting of 10 patients who developed movement disorders after vaccination. The majority were males (n = 8), with a median age of 64.5 years. The most common movement disorder was hemichorea. The rest presented with generalized chorea with myoclonus, cervical dystonia, and akathisia. Most cases responded with immunotherapy. The standardized tool used showed that most studies have a low risk of bias. Conclusion:The reported incidence of vaccine-related movement disorders was low in occurrence based on available published cases that were found.