BACKGROUND Psychogenic blepharospasm is difficult to distinguish clinically from benign essential blepharospasm (BEB). The blink reflex recovery cycle measures the excitability of human brainstem interneurons and is abnormal in BEB. We wished to study the blink reflex recovery cycle in patients with atypical (presumed psychogenic) blepharospasm (AB). METHODS This was a prospective data collec...

The paralytic properties of botulinum A toxin have led to its use in humans in the treatment of strabismus and facial dystonias such as essential blepharospasm. Examination of orbicularis muscle from 10 patients with essential blepharospasm who received 2-18 injections of botulinum toxin 6 weeks to 3 years prior to surgery revealed characteristic nodal, terminal and ultraterminal "sprouting" of...

SYNOPSIS Thirty-nine patients with the idiopathic blepharospasm-oromandibular dystonia syndrome are described. All presented in adult life, usually in the sixth decade; women were more commonly affected than men. Thirteen had blepharospasm alone, nine had oromandibular dystonia alone, and 17 had both. Torticollis or dystonic writer's cramp preceded the syndrome in two patients. Eight other pati...

Blepharospasm, a focal dystonia characterized by involuntary orbicularis oculi muscle spasms, may vary in severity from a slightly bothersome condition to a disabling disorder that renders patients functionally blind. Botulinum toxin (BTX) injection, the gold-standard treatment, has a beneficial effect in 95% of patients. Oral medication is of limited efficacy. For individuals that do not respo...