Dopa-responsive dystonia (DRD) is a broad term used to describe forms of dystonia that respond to a medication called levodopa, which is a synthetic form of a brain chemical called dopamine. This group includes heredity forms that are characterized by progressive difficulty walking. Its symptoms may be similar to those of early onset generalized dystonia. |
| Myoclonic distonia or Myoclonus-dystonia syndrome is a rare syndrome having several subforms each traced to a different gene. The uniting feature is dystonia, but there are also rapid jerky movements resembling myoclonus.
Ethanol often ameliorates the symptoms very well, and so the syndrome is also called "Alcohol-responsive dystonia"; alcohol may be substituted by benzodiazepines that work through the same mechanism, such as clonazepam. |
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Blepharospasm means the involuntary contraction of the eyelids, leading to uncontrollable blinking and closure of the eyelids. |
| Spasmodic torticollis is a chronic neurological movement disorder causing the neck to involuntarily turn to the left, right, upwards, and/or downwards. The condition is also referred to as "cervical dystonia". Both agonist and antagonist muscle contract simultaneously during dystonic movement. |
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This is also known as primary torsion dystonia or dystonia musculorum deformans. The usual age of onset is between 5 and 16 years. Parents or teachers may notice an abnormal turning in of the foot, an awkward gait or contractions of many different muscle groups. The involuntary dystonic movements may progress quickly to involve all the limbs and torso, but the rate of progression usually slows after adolescence. |
| Hemifacial spasm causes muscles on only one side of the face to contract. It affects both men and women and usually develops in middle age. More than 4000 people in the UK are thought to be affected. Hemifacial spasm develops gradually. Initially the muscles surrounding the eye may be affected by muscle spasms, which continue to spread and affect other muscles on the same side of the face, especially the jaw and mouth. Some patients may experience a clicking sound in the ear on the affected side each time a muscle contracts. |
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This dystonia is also known as Meiges or Brueghels syndrome. It is a combination of blepharospasm and oromandibular dystonia. |
| In this form of dystonia the jaw muscles, lips and tongue are affected causing the jaw to be held open, clamped shut or forced to deviate to one side. |
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Spasmodic dysphonia (difficulty in voice production) is slightly more common in women than in men and occurs in middle age. The muscles affected are those controlling the vocal cords. Sufferers find that their voice sounds strained and strangled, that it takes a lot of effort to speak and that their voice comes out as tremulous, weak or a breathless whisper. |
| In this type of dystonia the muscles of the hand and forearm are affected. Contraction or extension of the hand and finger muscles prevents activity or causes an exaggerated posture. |
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