Quick Facts about Trauma-induced Dystonia
- Dystonia symptoms may follow trauma to the head, and/or trauma to a specific body area.
- Dystonia symptoms following head trauma often affect the side of the body which is opposite to the side of the brain injured by the trauma.
- Examples of peripheral injury include oromandibular dystonia following dental procedures, blepharospasm following surgery or injury to the eyes, and cervical dystonia following whiplash or other neck injury.
- Symptoms of trauma-induced dystonia may occur in episodes or “attacks” of symptoms, not respond to sensory tricks, and persist during sleep.
- Brain trauma will often manifest in observable lesions in the brain that can be assessed by neuroimaging techniques.
- Onset of trauma-induced symptoms may be delayed by several months or years after trauma.
- In addition to dystonia, movement disorders that are believed to result from brain and peripheral trauma include parkinsonism, tremors, chorea, myolconus, tics, and hemifacial or hemimasticatory spasm.
- Treatment for trauma-induced is highly customized, and may include physical therapy, oral medications, botulinum toxin injection, complementary therapies, and/or certain types of surgery.
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