title: Treatment of dystonia.
abstract: Dystonia varies in severity from simple focal dystonia, such as writer's cramp to life-threatening status dystonicus. Even though the pathophysiology is still elusive, symptomatic treatments may provide marked relief. Botulinum toxin is considered the treatment of choice for most focal and segmental dystonias. Deep brain stimulation of the basal ganglia, particularly the globus pallidus internum, is emerging as an important treatment for refractory, generalized, and segmental forms of dystonia. Gene therapy is also being explored as a possible treatment of inherited dystonias. This article reviews the therapeutic options available for the various types of dystonia.
authors.affiliation: Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Octavian R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jankovic
mesh_terms: D018726:Anti-Dyskinesia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004421:Dystonia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D018726:Anti-Dyskinesia Agents; D001905:Botulinum Toxins