Clinical Diagnosis and Management of Dystonia

One hundred years have passed since the first clinical descriptions of dystonia cases appeared in the literature. In the ensuing century, the study of this protean movement disorder has undergone a turbulent evolution, with dramatic shifts in the views regarding its causation and phenomenology. Considered for a period of time as a psychological or psychiatric condition, the dystonias are now recognized, in the majority of cases, as an organic neurological disorder. The clinical signs and symptoms manifested in patients with various dystonic disorders are extremely varied, so while it is one of the most common movement disorders, it is perhaps the most misunderstood and least clinically recognized. With chapters contributed by experts from both sides of the Atlantic, Clinical Diagnosis and Management of Dystonia provides a comprehensive review of the pathogenesis of dystonia, an overview of the classification of the various dystonic disorders, and a summary of the latest developments in treatment, including emerging pharmacological therapies and the use of botulinum toxin.