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Best practice
Fifteen-minute consultation: Approach to investigation and management of childhood dystonia
  1. Eva Bridget Forman1,
  2. Mary D King1,2,
  3. Kathleen M Gorman1,2
  1. 1 Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street, Dublin, Ireland
  2. 2 School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
  1. Correspondence to Dr Kathleen M Gorman, Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street, Dublin 1, D01 XD99, Ireland; kathleen.gorman{at}cuh.ie

Abstract

Dystonia is a hyperkinetic movement disorder characterised by sustained or intermittent muscle contractions causing abnormal movements, postures or both. Dystonia is a challenging condition to diagnose and treat. Dystonia is often under-recognised in children, particularly in cerebral palsy, and frequently coexists with spasticity. This guide aims to simplify the approach to diagnosis, investigation and treatment of childhood-onset dystonia. The principle of treatment is similar regardless of the underlying aetiology: identification of potential triggers and consideration of both pharmacological and surgical options.

  • dystonia
  • movement disorder
  • cerebral palsy
  • spasticity

https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2019-318131

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    Footnotes

    • Twitter @KMGorman_Neuro

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent for publication Not required.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.