title: Successful treatment of childhood onset symptomatic dystonia with levodopa.
abstract: Three patients with childhood onset symptomatic dystonia responded to levodopa. None fulfilled criteria for a diagnosis of "dopa responsive dystonia" (Segawa's disease). One may have had athetoid cerebral palsy for almost 25 years. All obtained dramatic and sustained benefit from levodopa therapy. A therapeutic trial of levodopa is advised in all patients in whom dystonia has developed in childhood or early adult life, regardless of suspected aetiology or duration of symptoms.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Clinical Neurology, Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Scadding
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Marsden
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004421:Dystonia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D007980:Levodopa