To review the literature on primary dystonia and dystonia plus and to provide evidence-based recommendations. Primary dystonia and dystonia plus are chronic and often disabling conditions with a widespread spectrum mainly in young people. Computerized MEDLINE and EMBASE literature reviews (1966-1967 February 2005) were conducted. The Cochrane Library was searched for relevant citations. Diagnos...

BACKGROUND Dystonia is a movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions that cause twisting movements and abnormal postures. Primary dystonia is the most common form and is thought to be a multifactorial condition in which one or more genes combine with environmental factors to reach disease. METHODS We reviewed controlled studies on possible environmental risk factors for...

Background: Dystonia is a movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions that cause twisting movements and abnormal postures. Primary dystonia is the most common form and is thought to be a multifactorial condition in which one or more genes combine with environmental factors to reach disease. Methods: We reviewed controlled studies on possible environmental risk factors for...

The majority of studies investigating the molecular pathogenesis and cell biology underlying dystonia have been performed in individuals with primary dystonia. This includes monogenic forms such as DYT1and DYT6 dystonia, and primary focal dystonia which is likely to be multifactorial in origin. In recent years there has been renewed interest in non-primary forms of dystonia including the dyston...

BACKGROUND Dystonia and tremor share many commonalities. Isolated tremor is part of the phenomenological spectrum of isolated dystonia and of essential tremor. The occurrence of subtle features of dystonia may allow one to differentiate dystonic tremor from essential tremor. Diagnostic uncertainty is enhanced when no features of dystonia are found in patients with a tremor syndrome, raising the...

OBJECTIVES to provide a revised version of earlier guidelines published in 2006. BACKGROUND primary dystonias are chronic and often disabling conditions with a widespread spectrum mainly in young people. DIAGNOSIS primary dystonias are classified as pure dystonia, dystonia plus or paroxysmal dystonia syndromes. Assessment should be performed using a validated rating scale for dystonia. Gene...

Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome is a disorder characterized by dystonia, parkinsonism, and iron accumulation in the brain. The disease is caused by mutations in gene encoding pantothenate kinase 2 (PANK2) and patients have pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration. We present an 8-year-old boy with progressive muscle dystonia, neuroregression, frequent fall and multiple injur...

Dystonia may be classified by age of onset (childhood, adolescence, adult onset), body distribution of the abnormal movements (focal, segmental, unilateral, multifocal and generalized) and etiology (idiopathic and symptomatic). We studied 76 patients with idiopathic dystonia among 122 cases of dystonic syndrome (62.3% of the total). There were 48 female and 28 male patients. Adult-onset focal d...

BACKGROUND There is an ongoing debate whether essential tremor (ET) represents a monosymptomatic disorder or other neurologic symptoms are compatible with the diagnosis of ET. Many patients with clinically definite ET develop dystonia. It remains unknown whether tremor associated with dystonia represent a subtype of ET. We hypothesized that ET with dystonia represents a distinct subtype of ET. ...

OBJECTIVES To assign an accurate diagnosis to patients with dystonia based on the presence of sustained levodopa responsiveness and to determine whether motor fluctuations occur in patients with dystonia who are withheld from levodopa. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with generalized dystonia who responded to treatment in the 1970s with levodopa/carbidopa were surveyed by phone and then examine...