Dystonia

Dystonia is a neurological hyperkinetic movement disorder in which sustained or repetitive muscle contractions result in twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal fixed postures. The movements may resemble a tremor. Dystonia is often intensified or exacerbated by physical activity, and symptoms may progress into adjacent muscles. The disorder may be hereditary or caused by other factors such as birth-related or other physical trauma, infection, poisoning (e.g., lead poisoning) or reaction to pharmaceutical drugs, particularly neuroleptics, or stress. Treatment must be highly customized to the needs of the individual and may include oral medications, chemodenervation botulinum neurotoxin injections, physical therapy, or other supportive therapies, and surgical procedures such as deep brain stimulation. There are multiple types of dystonia, and many diseases and conditions may cause dystonia. Dystonia is classified by: Clinical characteristics such as age of onset, body distribution, nature of the symptoms, and associated features such as additional movement disorders or neurological symptoms, and Cause (which includes changes or damage to the nervous system and inheritance). Physicians use these classifications to guide diagnosis and treatment. Generalized Focal Segmental Psychogenic Acute dystonic reaction Vegetative-vascular For example, dystonia musculorum deformans (Oppenheim, Flatau-Sterling syndrome): Normal birth history and milestones Autosomal dominant Childhood onset Starts in lower limbs and spreads upwards Also known as torsion dystonia or idiopathic torsion dystonia (old terminology "dystonia musculorum deformans"). Focal dystonia These most common dystonias are typically classified as follows: The combination of blepharospasmodic contractions and oromandibular dystonia is called cranial dystonia or Meige's syndrome. Segmental dystonias affect two adjoining parts of the body: Hemidystonia affects an arm and foot on one side of the body. Multifocal dystonia affects many different parts of the body.