title: Life satisfaction of musicians with focal dystonia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the effects of musicians' dystonia (MD) on patients' life satisfaction.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess general life satisfaction in patients with MD with regard to their health and jobs, in relation to the duration and course of the condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  We asked patients with MD and a group of healthy musicians (controls) to complete a life satisfaction questionnaire. We analysed responses from those who had to change their profession and those who did not, and we assessed life satisfaction scores in relation to the duration and the course of the condition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 642 patients contacted, 295 responded (46%). We excluded 52 amateur musicians and analysed a sample of 243 patients with MD. We contacted an unknown number of healthy musicians and 57 responded. We found no differences in life satisfaction between patients and controls or between patients who had to change their profession and those who did not and no correlations between life satisfaction and the duration or the course of the disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Musicians find a way to cope with dystonia, irrespective of the course of the disease or a change of profession. Patients should be made aware of self-regulatory mechanisms and the probability of being able to cope and be supported in selecting their goals and achieving them.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians' Medicine, University of Music, Drama and Media Hanover, Emmichplatz 1, 30175 Hanover, Germany, *Both authors contributed equally to the work and are co-first authors. andre.lee@hmtm-hannover.de.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians' Medicine, University of Music, Drama and Media Hanover, Emmichplatz 1, 30175 Hanover, Germany, Department of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Mittelweg 177, 20148 Hamburg, Germany. *Both authors contributed equally to the work and are co-first authors.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eich
authors.affiliation: Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians' Medicine, University of Music, Drama and Media Hanover, Emmichplatz 1, 30175 Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Ioannou
authors.affiliation: Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians' Medicine, University of Music, Drama and Media Hanover, Emmichplatz 1, 30175 Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Altenmüller
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D020821:Dystonic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009146:Music / Q000523:psychology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction
keywords: Coping; hedonic treadmill; life satisfaction; movement disorders; musicians’ dystonia; quality of life; subjective satisfaction paradox; task-specificity.