Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Original Article

Personality traits of Japanese patients with focal dystonia
-Variable classification by affected body part and occupation-

Kei Kobayashi-Noami, Ph.D.1)4), Kazushi Maruo, Ph.D.2), Takashi Sakamoto, M.D.1), Yuji Takahashi, M.D., Ph.D.1) and Masaru Horikoshi, Ph.D.3)

1)Department of Neurology, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Japan
2)Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba
3)National Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Research, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Japan
4)Department of Education Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi

We administered the Revised Neo Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) to 92 Japanese patients with focal dystonia and analyzed the relation of their personality traits, affected body parts, and occupations using a decision tree method. Results show that participants' personality traits were related to their occupation rather than the body part. Occupational dystonia patients including musicians exhibited neurotic tendencies and a high level of anxiety. Moreover, patients with occupational upper limb dystonia had realistic thinking patterns. Patients with musicians' dystonia were open about their emotional experiences: both positive and negative.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (867K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 59: 791|798, 2019)
key words: decision tree method, musicians' dystonia, NEO-PI-R, occupational dystonia, personality

(Received: 17-Jan-19)