title: Botulinum toxin as a treatment for blepharospasm, spasmodic torticollis and hemifacial spasm.
abstract: Fifty-two patients affected by focal dystonia or hemifacial spasm were treated with repeated injections of botulinum toxin. A clinical improvement was observed in all patients with blepharospasm; clinical benefit had a mean duration of 10 weeks. Clinical results were less impressive, but also favorable in patients affected by spasmodic torticollis and by hemifacial spasm. In the latter, the incidence of drug-induced paresis was much higher than that observed in patients with blepharospasm, even though the doses of toxin injected were significantly lower.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Neurologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albanese
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colosimo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carretta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dickmann
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bentivoglio
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tonali
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001764:Blepharospasm / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D013035:Spasm / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014103:Torticollis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D001905:Botulinum Toxins