| Dystonia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A person with medication-induced dystonia | |
| Specialty | Neurology |
| Symptoms | Slow repetitive movements, abnormal postures, pain, tremor[1] |
| Complications | Contractures, degenerative disc disease[2] |
| Causes | Inherited; birth injury; head trauma; medication; infection; toxins[1] |
| Diagnostic method | Genetic testing, MRI, blood tests[2] |
| Differential diagnosis | Huntington, Parkinson, Wilson's diseasecerebral palsy, psychological[2] |
| Treatment | Medication, physical therapy, botulinum toxin injection, deep brain stimulation[1] |
| Medication | Anticholinergics, dopamine agonists[1] |
| Frequency | Relatively common[3] |
Dystonia is a movement disorder in which involuntary muscle contractions result in slow repetitive movements or abnormal postures.[1][4] Pain or a tremor may also occur.[1] In some, symptoms only occur with exercise, stress, or tiredness.[1] Complications may include depression or anxiety.[1]
It may be inherited from a persons parents, or caused by birth injury, stroke, infection, lead poisoning, CO poisoning, and as a side effect of certain medications such as antidopaminergic agents.[1][2] The underlying mechanism involves certain areas of the brain, often the basal ganglia.[1][2] It may be categorized as generalized, focal, multifocal, segmental, or hemidystonia; or by the part of the body affected such as cervical, blepharospasm, writer's cramp, and musician's dystonia.[1] Diagnosis may involve genetic testing, MRI, and blood tests.[2]
When it occurs as a result of medication, stopping the medication may result in resolution.[1] Otherwise treatment may include medication such as anticholinergics, benzodiazepines or dopaminergic agents; botulinum toxin injections; physical therapy; or surgery, such as deep brain stimulation.[1]
Dystonia affects up to 250,000 people in the United States.[3] It is less common than the movement disorders essential tremor and Parkinson.[3] All ages may be affected.[3] The term was coined in 1911.[5]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Dystonias Fact Sheet | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke". www.ninds.nih.gov. Archived from the original on 16 December 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f "Dystonia". BMJ Best Practice. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- ^ a b c d "Dystonia – Classifications, Symptoms and Treatment". www.aans.org. Archived from the original on 16 December 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
- ^ Balint, B; Mencacci, NE; Valente, EM; Pisani, A; Rothwell, J; Jankovic, J; Vidailhet, M; Bhatia, KP (20 September 2018). "Dystonia". Nature reviews. Disease primers. 4 (1): 25. doi:10.1038/s41572-018-0023-6. PMID 30237473.
- ^ Balint, Bettina; Bhatia, Kailash P. (2014). "Dystonia". Current Opinion in Neurology. 27 (4): 468–76. doi:10.1097/WCO.0000000000000114. PMID 24978640.