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Dystonia

Dystonia is a movement disorder which causes involuntary contractions of your muscles. These contractions result in twisting and repetitive movements. Sometimes they are painful.

Dystonia can affect just one muscle, a group of muscles or all of your muscles. Symptoms can include tremors, voice problems or a dragging foot. Symptoms often start in childhood. They can also start in the late teens or early adulthood. Some cases worsen over time. Others are mild.

Some people inherit dystonia. Others have it because of another disease. Either way, researchers think that a problem in the part of the brain that handles messages about muscle contractions might cause dystonia. There is no cure. Instead, doctors use medicines, surgery, physical therapy and other treatments to reduce or eliminate muscle spasms and pain.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Dystonia on Wikipedia

'''Dystonia''' is a neurological movement disorder with involuntary muscle contractions, forcing specific parts of the body into abnormal movements or positions, sometimes causing pain. See also: Writer's cramp

External link

* [http://www.dystonia.org.uk/] From the webpage of: Nancy Byl, Ph.D., UCSF Professor, Physical Therapy Research Statement: Neural consequences of repetitive strain injuries. Research Summary: Working in collaboration with Michael Merzenich, PhD, we have been studying the effect of repetition on the organization of the representation of the hand on the somatosensory cortex. Using a animal model, we have created a repetitive behavioral task of hand opening and closing that ultimately leads to a loss of motor control (defined as dystonia) and a degradation of the representation of the hand on the somatosensory cortex. We are now looking at models for rehabilitating this condition and the need to develop computer guided sensory stimulators for clinical retraining. At the same time, we are looking at the presence of sensory problems in patients with severe repetitive strain injury and the effectiveness of a sensory discrimination retraining program. Selected Publications: Byl, NN, Merzenich, MM, Jenkin, WM, A primate genesis model of focal dystonia and repetitive strain injury: i. Learning-induced de-differentiation of the representation of the hand in the primary somatosensory cortex in adult monkeys. Ann Neurrology 1996; 47: 509-520 Byl NN, Merzenich, MM, Cheung, S., Bedenbaugh, P., Nagarajan, SSS, Jenkins, WM., A primate model for studying focal dystonia and repetitive strain injury: effects on the primary somatosensory cortex. Physical Therapy 1997; 77:269-284 Byl, NN, Melnick, M., The neural consequences of repetition: Clinical implications of a leaning hypothesis. J. of hand Therapy, 1997; April-June: 160-174

External link

http://bioeng.berkeley.edu/graduate/cvs/Byl.html   [ Read More ]


External Resources

Dystonia - Offers pictures, show schedule and audio files.

Kids Move - Provides an overview and describes diagnostic methods and treatments for each child movement disorder, including ataxia, bradykinesia, choreoathetosis, dystonia, myoclonus, spasticity, tics, and tremor.

Movement Disorders Clinic, Children's Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati - Clinic that specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of children with tremor, chorea, dystonia and other movement disorders.

MoveMD - Colorado Neurological Institute's Movement Disorders Center - Patient and physician education about deep brain stimulation and advanced neurosurgery treatment for Parkinson's disease, dystonia, and other neurological conditions. View streaming videos of patients pre and post-operatively.

Dystonia Medical Research Foundation - Canadian Foundation supporting research, awareness and support related to dystonia.

Dystonia, Inc - Information about spasmodic torticollis and dystonia.

The Dystonia Society (UK) - UK charity providing information and support for people with dystonia.

We Move - Dystonia - Information for Patients - Dystonia: information for patients and families.

The Family Village - Dystonia - Information, contacts, chat rooms, links related to dystonia.

Dystonia On-Line Support Group - Extensive information on this disease as well as a chat room with scheduled chat meeting times.



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