title: Quantitative electromyography-guided botulinum toxin treatment of cervical dystonia.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical and electromyographic effect of turn/amplitude analysis (TAA)-guided botulinum toxin administration in patients with cervical dystonia. Involuntary electromyographic activity was recorded from both sternocleidomastoidei, both splenii capites, and both trapezii muscles of 13 torticollis patients, aged 34-73 years, before and after botulinum toxin A (Dysport) application. Dystonic muscles were selected for the injection if mean turns/s exceeded a level of 200. Four weeks after treatment with a mean dose of 223 mu/subject, clinical improvement was observed in 12 patients (92%) and only one patient reported no effect. Electromyographic improvement could be observed in 10 patients (77%). Both turns/s and the amplitude/turn decreased by 27% on the average after treatment. The electromyographic toxin effect showed a good correlation with the clinical toxin effect (r = 0.6). No dose dependency of the changes in turn/amplitude parameters could be observed. We found TAA a valuable modality for targeting and selecting dystonic muscles and for assessing the therapeutic benefit of the toxin.
authors.affiliation: Neurological Department, Neurological Hospital Rosenhuegel, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finsterer
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mamoli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004421:Dystonia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D009465:Neuromuscular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014103:Torticollis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D009465:Neuromuscular Agents; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A