| Pathophysiology and Medical Treatment of Dystonia |
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Won Yong Lee |
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Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea |
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| Abstract |
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Dystonia, defined as a neurological syndrome characterized by involuntary, patterned, sustained, or repetitive muscle contractions, causing twisting movements and abnormal postures, is one of the most disabling movement disorders. The pathophysiology of
dystonia has not been unveiled yet. For here, I review the several feasible theories of the pathophysiology of dystonia including the loss of reciprocal inhibition, disturbance of basal ganglia circuitry, and the disintegration of cerebral cortex. Although pathogenesis- targeted treatment is still elusive, the currently available symptomatic treatment strategies are effective some types of dystonia. Therapeutic options must be tailored to the needs of individual patients and include medical treatment for patients with generalized dystonia, and botulinum toxin injections for patients with focal and segmental dystonias. |
| Key Words:
Dystonia, Pathogenesis, Medical treatment, Botulinum toxin injection. |
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