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Diagnosis of dystonia is not difficult by recognizing the pattern of clinical presentation. Dopa-responsive dystonia (DRD) and Wilson disease are important in differential diagnosis because of their specific treatment. The most common are the focal dystonias, including blepharospasm and spasmodic torticollis. Dystonia comprises mobile involuntary movements and abnormal postures, the latter is better described as hypokinetic disorder. The pathogenesis of dystonia is now being clarified, and includes abnormal neuroplasticity caused by the relative excess of dopamine in the matrix compartment of the striatum, the possible primary lesion being the striosome. In a dopa-responsive dystonia model, dopaminergic projection is more deficient to the striosome than to the matrix, which could produce imbalance between the direct versus. indirect pathway activities. The treatment options include trihexyphenidyl, minor tranquilizers, botulinum toxin injection, and deep brain stimulation.

Early-onset generalized dystonia attributable to a DYT1 gene mutation is a hyperkinetic movement disorder that responds poorly to pharmacotherapy. In this video brief, we show that continuous bilateral stimulation of the globus pallidus internus produced sustained and marked improvements in the motor symptoms and functional disabilities of Japanese patients with DYT1-generalized dystonia.