A Pioneering 1915 Film on Movement Disorders in Spain: Parkinsonism, Huntington's Disease, and Paradoxical Kinesia.

BACKGROUND

Soon after the advent of cinematography in 1895, neurologists began exploring its use as a permanent record of physical signs and as a teaching aid. We present the first known Spanish film on movement disorders, recorded in 1915.

METHODS

We describe and analyze the patients shown in the film within its historical context.

RESULTS

The first section of the film is a teaching session in which a fixed camera records the patients and the professor, surrounded by students. It presents 10 patients, including parkinsonian and catatonic patients. In the second section, a mobile camera follows two cases in more detail: a patient with probable Huntington's disease (HD), and an impressive case of paradoxical kinesia in Parkinson's disease (PD).

CONCLUSIONS

The didactic value of the film is exceptional. It presents the first reported Spanish case of HD, and the first documented case of paradoxical kinesia in PD, 6 years before its written description in 1921. © 2026 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.