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

Abstract

Objective Since the release of vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there have been reports of vaccine-related neurologic complications. This study aimed to perform a descriptive systematic review of movement disorders associated with COVID-19 vaccines. Methods We described the demographics, clinical presentation, management, outcomes, and proposed pathomechanism of the patients. A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A standardized tool was used to assess the quality of the cases. Results We identified 8 articles that met our inclusion criteria; these articles included 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 patients respond to immunotherapy. The standardized tool used showed that most studies had a low risk of bias. Conclusion The reported incidence of vaccine-related movement disorders was low based on available published cases.