OBJECTIVES The aims were to characterize the movements in cervical dystonia (CD) by using an estimate of the mechanical power and work involved in the movements and to describe this through a movement energy index (MEI). MATERIALS AND METHODS The subjects (patients n = 6, controls n = 6) were seated in front of a screen with a laser pointer attached to a headband while they performed standard...

Many instruments have been employed in recent years in order to quantify the posture and motion of the head in normal and pathological subjects. Evaluations of this type present many difficulties related to the influence of individual and external factors and to the accuracy of the system used. In patients with cervical dystonia (CD) the only rating scales currently used are semi-quantitative a...

Three patients are reported on who developed transient generalised weakness after receiving therapeutic doses of botulinum toxin for cervical dystonia (one case) and symptomatic hemidystonia (two cases) respectively. Clinical and electrophysiological findings were in keeping with mild botulism. All patients had received previous botulinum toxin injections without side effects and one patient co...

OBJECTIVES Dystonia is often disabling and disfiguring. The aim of the study was to identify factors influencing the impact of dystonia on self-reported quality of life and health. MATERIAL AND METHODS Members of the Swedish Dystonia Patient Association participated in a survey covering demographic variables, satisfaction with treatment, physiotherapy and physical activity. Quality of life an...

Although coding variants in THAP1 have been causally associated with primary dystonia, the contribution of noncoding variants remains uncertain. Herein, we examine a previously identified Intron 1 variant (c.71+9C>A, rs200209986). Among 1672 subjects with mainly adult-onset primary dystonia, 12 harbored the variant in contrast to 1/1574 controls (P < 0.01). Dystonia classification included cerv...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Traditionally dystonia has been considered a disorder of basal ganglia dysfunction. However, recent research has advocated a more complex neuroanatomical network. In particular, there is increasing interest in the pathophysiological role of the cerebellum. Patients with cervical and focal hand dystonia have impaired cerebellar associative learning using the paradigm eyebl...

In the last few centuries, there has been a constant sway between organic and psychogenic explanations for dystonia. In the current study, we investigate this history, assuming the perspective of a spectrum from organic to psychogenic, between which ideas were moving. We have focussed on (i) primary generalized dystonia, (ii) cervical dystonia, (iii) writer's cramp and (iv) fixed dystonia relat...

BACKGROUND Cervical dystonia (CD), the most common form of adult-onset focal dystonia, has a heterogeneous clinical presentation with variable clinical features, leading to difficulties and delays in diagnosis. Owing to the lack of reviews specifically focusing on the frequency of primary CD in the general population, we performed a systematic literature search to examine its prevalence/inciden...

276 CMYK Figure 2b: Magnetic resonance venography (Sagittal) images show non-visualization of the superior sagittal sinus and only partial visualization of the right transverse and sigmoid sinuses. Figure 2a: Magnetic resonance venography (Coronal) images show non-visualization of the superior sagittal sinus and only partial visualization of the right transverse and sigmoid sinuses. Letter to E...

OBJECTIVE 61 procedures with selective peripheral denervation for cervical dystonia were retrospectively analysed concerning surgical results, pain, quality of life (QoL) and recurrences. METHODS The patients were assessed with the Tsui torticollis scale, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain and Fugl-Meyer scale for QoL. Evaluations were performed preoperatively, early postoperatively, at 6 m...