Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Review

Botulinum toxin for treatment of the focal dystonia

Yusaku Nakamura, M.D., Ph.D.1)

1)Department of Neurology, Kindai University Sakai Hospital

Dystonia is defined as a movement disorder characterized by sustained or intermittent muscles contraction causing abnormal, often repetitive, movements, postures, or both. Dystonic movements are typically patterned and twisting, and may be tremulous. The precis diagnosis of dystonia is difficult for physicians because neurological brain imaging does not provide enough practical information. The diagnosis is depend on clinical experience of physicians. Botulinum toxin treatment is the accepted standard of care for patients with focal dystonia. Botulinum toxin treatment results in significant improvement of decreasing the symptom of dystonia. The success of treatment is dependent on muscle selection for treating involved muscles. Usually performance of botulinum toxin treatment is injected according to clinical experience of surface anatomy or clinical location method. However, the benefit of guidance of botulinum toxin treatment is improve outcome in dystonia. Injection techniques with ultra sound echogram or EMG guidance to identify dystonic muscles can be more benefit for patients.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (1222K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 57: 367|372, 2017)
key words: dystonia, Botulinum toxin, cervical dystonia, EMG guidance, muscle selection

(Received: 14-Feb-17)