Mitchell's case of “pendulum spasms”

Background: In the late 19th century, a man with a psychogenic movement disorder was evaluated by many of the Philadelphia neurologists associated with Silas Weir Mitchell. In 1885, prior to the development of movie cameras or projectors, the patient was photographed by pioneering photographer Eadweard Muybridge, in collaboration with neurologist Francis Dercum, using arrays of sequentially triggered single-image cameras. The photographic sequences are among the first motion picture sequences of patients with neurologic disorders.

Methods: Examination of extant primary source documents concerning this patient, including published writings and photographic sequences by Muybridge and Dercum, the original clinical descriptions, Mitchell's documentation of the patient's later clinical course, and results of the autopsy.

Results: Mitchell and his colleagues concluded that this was a “case of undoubted hysteria” in a man. Support for this contention includes the following: protracted course, spanning decades with temporary remissions; inconsistent character of the movement and features incongruous with typical “organic” tremors; complex, bizarre movements that are difficult to classify; increase in movements with attention; alteration in frequency of the movements with movement of the opposite arm; ability to trigger or temporarily stop the movements with unusual or nonphysiologic interventions; involvement of the opposite arm in a synchronous abnormal movement later in the course; remission with hypnotic suggestion; absence of other neurologic signs; and normal brain autopsy.

Conclusion: The clinical history, serial examinations, photographic documentation, and autopsy results support Mitchell's contention that this was a case of male hysteria, or, in modern terminology, a psychogenic movement disorder.