title: Dystonia, botulinum neurotoxin, and the aviator.
abstract: Dystonia is both a symptom and the name for group of illnesses called the dystonias. The physical manifestation consists of sustained, involuntary contractions of the muscles in one or more parts of the body, resulting in twisting or distortion of that part of the body. For focal dystonias including torticollis, blepharospasm and spasmodic dysphonia, botulinum toxin injections have become the treatment of choice because of the ability of this toxin to sufficiently weaken the muscle to reduce the spasm but not so much as to cause paralysis. This paper involves the fate of four airmen all afflicted with a form of dystonia who had been reviewed in the Aeromedical Certification Division of the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute.
authors.affiliation: Aeromedical Certification Division, CAMI, Oklahoma City, OK 73169, USA. michael_feinberg@mmac.mail.jccbi.gov
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Feinberg
mesh_terms: D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002568:Certification; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D020821:Dystonic Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009465:Neuromuscular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D009465:Neuromuscular Agents; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A