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Continuum (Minneapolis, Minn.) Oct 2022This article discusses the most recent findings regarding the diagnosis, classification, and management of genetic and idiopathic dystonia. (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
This article discusses the most recent findings regarding the diagnosis, classification, and management of genetic and idiopathic dystonia.
RECENT FINDINGS
A new approach to classifying dystonia has been created with the aim to increase the recognition and diagnosis of dystonia. Molecular biology and genetic studies have identified several genes and biological pathways involved in dystonia.
SUMMARY
Dystonia is a common movement disorder involving abnormal, often twisting, postures and is a challenging condition to diagnose. The pathophysiology of dystonia involves abnormalities in brain motor networks in the context of genetic factors. Dystonia has genetic, idiopathic, and acquired forms, with a wide phenotypic spectrum, and is a common feature in complex neurologic disorders. Dystonia can be isolated or combined with another movement disorder and may be focal, segmental, multifocal, or generalized in distribution, with some forms only occurring during the performance of specific tasks (task-specific dystonia). Dystonia is classified by clinical characteristics and presumed etiology. The management of dystonia involves accurate diagnosis, followed by treatment with botulinum toxin injections, oral medications, and surgical therapies (mainly deep brain stimulation), as well as pathogenesis-directed treatments, including the prospect of disease-modifying or gene therapies.
Topics: Botulinum Toxins; Brain; Dystonia; Dystonic Disorders; Humans; Movement Disorders
PubMed: 36222773
DOI: 10.1212/CON.0000000000001159 -
Neurology India 2018Dystonia is a hyperkinetic movement disorder characterized by sustained or intermittent muscle contractions that cause abnormal repetitive movements, abnormal postures,... (Review)
Review
Dystonia is a hyperkinetic movement disorder characterized by sustained or intermittent muscle contractions that cause abnormal repetitive movements, abnormal postures, or both. The new consensus classifies dystonia into two axes to characterize clinical characteristics, and etiology. This system allows correct identification of isolated and combined forms of dystonia and retains the description of generalized and focal dystonia which is very useful in planning investigations and management. The characterization of dystonia for its better identification and a brief overview of its management are discussed in this article. The treatment options for dystonia include drugs, botulinum toxin and deep brain stimulation surgery.
Topics: Deep Brain Stimulation; Dystonia; Dystonic Disorders; Humans; Neurologic Examination
PubMed: 29503327
DOI: 10.4103/0028-3886.226439 -
Developmental Medicine and Child... Feb 2014Status dystonicus is a rare, but life-threatening movement disorder emergency. Urgent assessment is required and management is tailored to patient characteristics and... (Review)
Review
Status dystonicus is a rare, but life-threatening movement disorder emergency. Urgent assessment is required and management is tailored to patient characteristics and complications. The use of dystonia action plans and early recognition of worsening dystonia may potentially facilitate intervention or prevent progression to status dystonicus. However, for established status dystonicus, rapidly deployed temporizing measures and different depths of sedation in an intensive care unit or high dependency unit are the most immediate and effective modalities for abating life-threatening spasms, while dystonia-specific treatment takes effect. If refractory status dystonicus persists despite orally active anti-dystonia drugs and unsuccessful weaning from sedative or anaesthetic agents, early consideration of intrathecal baclofen or deep brain stimulation is required. During status dystonicus, precise documentation of dystonia sites and severity as well as the baseline clinical state, using rating scales and videos is recommended. Further published descriptions of the clinical nature, timing of evolution, resolution, and epidemiology of status dystonicus are essential for a better collective understanding of this poorly understood heterogeneous emergency. In this review, we provide an overview of the clinical presentation and suggest a management approach for status dystonicus.
Topics: Adolescent; Baclofen; Child; Child, Preschool; Chloral Hydrate; Clonidine; Combined Modality Therapy; Conscious Sedation; Critical Pathways; Deep Brain Stimulation; Diagnosis, Differential; Dystonic Disorders; Emergencies; Humans; Infant; Injections, Spinal; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; Intubation, Gastrointestinal; Pallidotomy; Risk Factors; Thalamus
PubMed: 24304390
DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.12339 -
Nature Reviews. Neurology Feb 2021Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure that allows targeted circuit-based neuromodulation. DBS is a standard of care in Parkinson disease, essential... (Review)
Review
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure that allows targeted circuit-based neuromodulation. DBS is a standard of care in Parkinson disease, essential tremor and dystonia, and is also under active investigation for other conditions linked to pathological circuitry, including major depressive disorder and Alzheimer disease. Modern DBS systems, borrowed from the cardiac field, consist of an intracranial electrode, an extension wire and a pulse generator, and have evolved slowly over the past two decades. Advances in engineering and imaging along with an improved understanding of brain disorders are poised to reshape how DBS is viewed and delivered to patients. Breakthroughs in electrode and battery designs, stimulation paradigms, closed-loop and on-demand stimulation, and sensing technologies are expected to enhance the efficacy and tolerability of DBS. In this Review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the technical development of DBS, from its origins to its future. Understanding the evolution of DBS technology helps put the currently available systems in perspective and allows us to predict the next major technological advances and hurdles in the field.
Topics: Biomedical Technology; Deep Brain Stimulation; Depressive Disorder, Major; Dystonic Disorders; Essential Tremor; Forecasting; Humans; Implantable Neurostimulators; Parkinson Disease
PubMed: 33244188
DOI: 10.1038/s41582-020-00426-z -
Journal of Neural Transmission (Vienna,... Apr 2021A plethora of heterogeneous movement disorders is grouped under the umbrella term dystonia. The clinical presentation ranges from isolated dystonia to multi-systemic... (Review)
Review
A plethora of heterogeneous movement disorders is grouped under the umbrella term dystonia. The clinical presentation ranges from isolated dystonia to multi-systemic disorders where dystonia is only a co-occurring sign. In the past, definitions, nomenclature, and classifications have been repeatedly refined, adapted, and extended to reflect novel findings and increasing knowledge about the clinical, etiologic, and scientific background of dystonia. Currently, dystonia is suggested to be classified according to two axes. The first axis offers precise categories for the clinical presentation grouped into age at onset, body distribution, temporal pattern and associated features. The second, etiologic, axis discriminates pathological findings, as well as inheritance patterns, mode of acquisition, or unknown causality. Furthermore, the recent recommendations regarding terminology and nomenclature of inherited forms of dystonia and related syndromes are illustrated in this article. Harmonized, specific, and internationally widely used classifications provide the basis for future systematic dystonia research, as well as for more personalized patient counseling and treatment approaches.
Topics: Age of Onset; Causality; Dystonia; Dystonic Disorders; Humans; Movement Disorders
PubMed: 33604773
DOI: 10.1007/s00702-021-02314-2 -
Annual Review of Pathology Jan 2024Dystonia is a clinically and genetically highly heterogeneous neurological disorder characterized by abnormal movements and postures caused by involuntary sustained or... (Review)
Review
Dystonia is a clinically and genetically highly heterogeneous neurological disorder characterized by abnormal movements and postures caused by involuntary sustained or intermittent muscle contractions. A number of groundbreaking genetic and molecular insights have recently been gained. While they enable genetic testing and counseling, their translation into new therapies is still limited. However, we are beginning to understand shared pathophysiological pathways and molecular mechanisms. It has become clear that dystonia results from a dysfunctional network involving the basal ganglia, cerebellum, thalamus, and cortex. On the molecular level, more than a handful of, often intertwined, pathways have been linked to pathogenic variants in dystonia genes, including gene transcription during neurodevelopment (e.g., , ), calcium homeostasis (e.g., , ), striatal dopamine signaling (e.g., ), endoplasmic reticulum stress response (e.g., , , ), autophagy (e.g., ), and others. Thus, different forms of dystonia can be molecularly grouped, which may facilitate treatment development in the future.
Topics: Humans; Dystonia; Dystonic Disorders; Dopamine; Molecular Chaperones; DNA-Binding Proteins; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; Anoctamins
PubMed: 37738511
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathmechdis-051122-110756 -
Toxins Apr 2020Blepharospasm and oromandibular dystonia are focal dystonias characterized by involuntary and often patterned, repetitive muscle contractions. There is a long history of... (Review)
Review
Blepharospasm and oromandibular dystonia are focal dystonias characterized by involuntary and often patterned, repetitive muscle contractions. There is a long history of medical and surgical therapies, with the current first-line therapy, botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), becoming standard of care in 1989. This comprehensive review utilized MEDLINE and PubMed and provides an overview of the history of these focal dystonias, BoNT, and the use of toxin to treat them. We present the levels of clinical evidence for each toxin for both, focal dystonias and offer guidance for muscle and site selection as well as dosing.
Topics: Blepharospasm; Botulinum Toxins; Dystonic Disorders; Humans; Mandibular Diseases; Muscular Diseases; Neuromuscular Agents
PubMed: 32331272
DOI: 10.3390/toxins12040269 -
Tremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements... 2023Peripherally-induced movement disorders (PIMD) should be considered when involuntary or abnormal movements emerge shortly after an injury to a body part. A close... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Peripherally-induced movement disorders (PIMD) should be considered when involuntary or abnormal movements emerge shortly after an injury to a body part. A close topographic and temporal association between peripheral injury and onset of the movement disorders is crucial to diagnosing PIMD. PIMD is under-recognized and often misdiagnosed as functional movement disorder, although both may co-exist. Given the considerable diagnostic, therapeutic, and psychosocial-legal challenges associated with PIMD, it is crucial to update the clinical and scientific information about this important movement disorder.
METHODS
A comprehensive PubMed search through a broad range of keywords and combinations was performed in February 2023 to identify relevant articles for this narrative review.
RESULTS
The spectrum of the phenomenology of PIMD is broad and it encompasses both hyperkinetic and hypokinetic movements. Hemifacial spasm is probably the most common PIMD. Others include dystonia, tremor, parkinsonism, myoclonus, painful leg moving toe syndrome, tics, polyminimyoclonus, and amputation stump dyskinesia. We also highlight conditions such as neuropathic tremor, pseudoathetosis, and -associated myogenic tremor as examples of PIMD.
DISCUSSION
There is considerable heterogeneity among PIMD in terms of severity and nature of injury, natural course, association with pain, and response to treatment. As some patients may have co-existing functional movement disorder, neurologists should be able to differentiate the two disorders. While the exact pathophysiology remains elusive, aberrant central sensitization after peripheral stimuli and maladaptive plasticity in the sensorimotor cortex, on a background of genetic (two-hit hypothesis) or other predisposition, seem to play a role in the pathogenesis of PIMD.
Topics: Humans; Tremor; Movement Disorders; Dystonic Disorders; Tic Disorders; Dyskinesias; Myoclonus
PubMed: 37008994
DOI: 10.5334/tohm.758 -
Tremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements... 2021Task-specific dystonia (TSD) is a form of focal dystonia that occurs in the context of the performance of selective, highly skilled, often repetitive, motor activity.... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Task-specific dystonia (TSD) is a form of focal dystonia that occurs in the context of the performance of selective, highly skilled, often repetitive, motor activity. TSD may be apparent during certain tasks such as writing, playing musical instruments, or other activities requiring fine motor control, but may also occur during certain sports, and maybe detrimental to professional athletes' careers. Therefore, sports physicians and movement disorder neurologists need to be aware of the presentation and phenomenology of sports-related dystonia (SRD), the topic of this review.
METHODS
A broad PubMed search using a wide range of keywords and combinations was done in October 2021 to identify suitable articles for this review.
RESULTS
Most of the publications are on yips in golfers and on runners' dystonia. Other sports in which SRD has been reported are ice skating, tennis, table tennis, pistol shooting, petanque, baseball, and billiards.
DISCUSSION
Yips, which may affect up to half of the golfers and rarely athletes in other sports (e.g., baseball, cricket, basketball, speed skating, gymnastics) seems to be a multi-factorial form of TSD that is particularly troublesome in highly skilled professional golfers. Runners' dystonia, affecting the foot, leg, and hip (in decreasing order), may evolve into more generalized and less specific dystonia. The pathophysiologic mechanisms of SRD are not well understood. Botulinum toxin has been reported to alleviate dystonia in golfers', runners', and other forms of SRD. Future studies should utilize neurophysiologic, imaging, and other techniques to elucidate mechanisms of this underrecognized group of movement disorders.
Topics: Dystonia; Dystonic Disorders; Golf; Humans; Movement Disorders
PubMed: 35036047
DOI: 10.5334/tohm.670 -
Current Neurology and Neuroscience... Nov 2022To review recent literature evaluating psychiatric and cognitive symptoms in dystonia, the two non-motor symptom groups most frequently evaluated in dystonia research... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
To review recent literature evaluating psychiatric and cognitive symptoms in dystonia, the two non-motor symptom groups most frequently evaluated in dystonia research and recognised in clinical practice.
RECENT FINDINGS
Recent work has embedded clinical recognition of psychiatric symptoms in dystonia, with depressive and anxiety-related symptoms routinely observed to be the most common. Less explored symptoms, such as self-harm, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse, represent newer areas of investigation, with initial work suggesting higher rates than the background population. Investigation of cognitive function has provided less consistent results, both within individual dystonia subtypes and across the spectrum of dystonias, partly reflecting the heterogeneity in approaches to assessment. However, recent work indicates impairments of higher cognitive function, e.g. social cognition, and disrupted visual and auditory sensory processing. Dystonia demonstrates psychiatric and cognitive symptom heterogeneity, with further work needed to recognise endophenotypes and improve diagnostic accuracy, symptom recognition, and management.
Topics: Humans; Dystonia; Dystonic Disorders; Mental Disorders; Cognition
PubMed: 36201146
DOI: 10.1007/s11910-022-01233-3