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Previous Volume 355:818-829 August 24, 2006 Number 8 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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The term "dystonia" was coined by Oppenheim in 1911 to describe a disorder causing variable muscle tone and recurrent muscle spasm. This disorder was initially called dystonia musculorum deformans^1,2 and was later called primary torsion dystonia. Dystonia is a movement disorder that causes sustained muscle contractions, repetitive twisting movements, and abnormal postures of the trunk, neck, face, or arms and legs.³ Many general physicians are unfamiliar with dystonia; they may often confuse it with spasticity or rigidity and sometimes may even mistakenly attribute it to psychogenic causes. Patients with dystonia often consult several physicians before the correct diagnosis is made. . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Clinical Features

Classification

Primary Dystonia

Primary Generalized Torsion Dystonia

Primary Focal Dystonia

Secondary Dystonia

Heredodegenerative Disorders

Drug-Induced Dystonia

Acquired Structural Lesions

Dystonia-Plus Syndromes

Paroxysmal Dystonia

Pathophysiology

Evaluation

Treatment

Pharmacotherapy

Botulinum Toxin

Surgery

Physical Therapies

Source Information

From the Department of Neurology, Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School — both in Boston.

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