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Dystonia

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Differential Diagnosis of Movement Disorders in Clinical Practice

Abstract

Dystonia is an involuntary movement characterized by sustained, patterned, and repetitive muscle contractions of opposing muscles, causing abnormal postures and hyperkinetic jerky movements of affected body parts. This chapter reviews main characteristics of dystonia, classification of dystonias based on spread of symptoms (focal, segmental, hemidystonia, generalized dystonia) and etiology (genetic and acquired dystonias). We discuss main clinical features of the most common types of dystonias, their differential diagnosis, and main therapeutic options, including therapy with botulinum toxins and deep brain stimulation. Additional emphasis is on treatable causes of dystonia, such as levodopa-responsive dystonia and Wilson’s disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Parkinson’s Clinic of Eastern Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Abdul Qayyum Rana

  2. Department of Neurology Division of Movement Disorders, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Peter Hedera

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  1. Abdul Qayyum Rana
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  2. Peter Hedera
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Rana, A.Q., Hedera, P. (2014). Dystonia. In: Differential Diagnosis of Movement Disorders in Clinical Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01607-8_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01607-8_2

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