Of Music and Movement: Columbia Doctor Helps Patients Find Harmony

Loss of muscle control or dystonia (when muscles contract uncontrollably) would be disconcerting to anyone, but it can be a career-ending disorder for trained musicians.

Musician’s dystonia is characterized by excessive muscle contractions that disrupt the fine motor control that musicians rely on to perform. Treating patients with this disorder is one part of the Music and Movement Disorders Initiative created by Christine Kim, MD, assistant professor of neurology in the Division of Movement Disorders at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and a neurologist at NewYork-Presbyterian.

Before becoming a neurologist, Kim completed two degrees at the Eastman School of Music in violin performance. Her goal was to play full time in an orchestra. She still performs professionally on occasion, but her career track changed when she developed an interest in neuroscience and medicine. She completed medical school, neurology residency, and fellowship training in movement disorders at Columbia, where she became particularly interested in the intersection of music and movement disorders. [read more]

Source: CUIMC Newsroom