The fibre network contributing to hemiballism

Background: Hyperkinetic disorders (hemiballism, hemichorea, hemidystonia) are rare complications of ischemic basal ganglia lesions and manifest in about 1% of stroke patients (Ghika-Schmid et al., 1997). In the majority of cases, they resolve within weeks or months. It is interesting to note that no direct single-lesion-symptom mapping could be established for vascular hyperkinetic disorders (Postuma, 2003). Hemiballism was seen after lesions of the STN, GPi, thalamus, caudate and parietal lobe. This observation of various anatomical lesions together with the swift clinical recovery of symptoms generated our hy…