preview

Research Paper On Dystonia

Good Essays

Dystonia is a neurological disorder that affects an individual’s movement. Greek for “altered muscle tone,” dystonia causes one’s muscles to involuntarily contract (Moberg-Wolff, Barna, & Thiyagarajah, 2014). Multiple types of the disorder are classified based on the location of the movement dysfunction. It is a possibility that a person can experience multiple types of dystonia simultaneously (“Dystonias Fact Sheet;” Phukan, Albanese, Gasser, & Warner, 2011). Dystonia does not have much specificity in its presentation or cause and can appear at anytime during the lifespan (Geyer & Bressman, 2006). To be diagnosed, a series of assessments must be conducted including blood tests, urine tests, MRI and CT scans, as well as EMG tests to measure …show more content…

Cervical dystonia affects the neck and shoulder area. Symptoms include head twisting which could be painful to the individual. Dystonia could also affect one’s eyes and cause them to become functionally blind due to fast blinking or spasms that cause one’s eyes to shut, called blepharospasms. Oromandibular dystonia involves the jaw muscles and may be painful. This manifests in the inability to close one’s mouth and often cause difficulty with speaking and eating. This type of dystonia is common in accordance with cervical dystonia or belpharospasms. Spasmodic dystonia which is also called laryngeal dystonia, affects the vocal cords may cause a tight or quiet tone of voice. Other types of dystonia are task specific, occurring when the muscle movements occur during a particular action. The most common type is known as writer’s dystonia or writer’s cramp that causes the person’s hands, wrist, and fingers to ache and tightly grasp the writing utensil. This may also involve muscle contractions in the arm. Other task specific dystonias occur in other actions with repetitive actions such as musician’s dystonia or dystonia in professional craftsmen, etc. (Mayo Clinic; Phukan et al., 2011). Dystonic symptoms may increase as time progresses. They may also increase in their severity depending on the individual’s fatigue, stress and anxiety levels (Mayo

Get Access