‘What's in a Name?’ Naming Genetically Determined Movement Disorders: Gap and Controversy

In 2016, the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS) Task Force for Genetic Nomenclature in Movement Disorders laid out a new proposal for naming genetically determined movement disorders. This proposal sought to address the difficulties arising from the practical usage of numbered loci (eg, DYT1, DYT2, DYT3, etc.) as names for disorders. The proposal incited commentary highlighting concerns of subjectivity, neglecting relevant non‐movement features, and predicting the need for constant change as knowledge. An evaluation of the use of the nomenclature in the recent peer‐reviewed literature revealed variable implementation across movement phenotypes. The nomenclature has strengths and weaknesses, which are discussed in this article. A consideration of opportunities for improvement is warranted, and weighing the options will be the task of the MDS Nomenclature in Genetic Movement Disorders Study Group.