FMRI in dystonia: recent advances

Introduction: Dystonia is characterised by involuntary muscle contractions causing abnormal postures or repetitive movements. Dystonia can be of primary (idiopathic) or secondary origin and classified as being focal, segmental, hemi-sided or generalised depending on the body parts involved. Its pathophysiology is poorly understood. Electrophysiological and imaging studies have demonstrated abnormalities in multiple brain areas. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) provides a noninvasive tool for studying cerebral activation patterns in affected individuals. Methods: FMRI studies on dystonia are identifie…