title: Sonographic detection of basal ganglia abnormalities in spasmodic dysphonia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Abnormalities of the lenticular nucleus (LN) on transcranial sonography (TCS) are a characteristic finding in idiopathic segmental and generalized dystonia. Our intention was to study whether TCS detects basal ganglia abnormalities also in spasmodic dysphonia, an extremely focal form of dystonia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Transcranial sonography of basal ganglia, substantia nigra and ventricles was performed in 14 patients with spasmodic dysphonia (10 women, four men; disease duration 16.5 ± 6.1 years) and 14 age- and sex-matched healthy controls in an investigator-blinded setting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lenticular nucleus hyperechogenicity was found in 12 spasmodic dysphonia patients but only in one healthy individual (Fisher's exact test, P < 0.001) whilst other TCS findings did not differ. The area of LN hyperechogenic lesions quantified on digitized image analysis correlated with spasmodic dysphonia severity (Spearman test, r = 0.82, P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings link the underlying pathology of spasmodic dysphonia to that of more widespread forms of dystonia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blitzer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benecke
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grossmann
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dressler
mesh_terms: D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055154:Dysphonia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial / Q000379:methods
keywords: basal ganglia; laryngeal dystonia; speech disorders; transcranial ultrasound