Medical and Surgical Treatments for Dystonia.

The dystonias are a large and heterogenous group of disorders characterized by excessive muscle contractions leading to abnormal postures and/or repetitive movements. Their clinical manifestations vary widely, and there are many potential causes. Despite the heterogeneity, helpful treatments are available for the vast majority of patients. Symptom-based therapies include oral medications, botulinum toxins, and surgical interventions. For some subtypes of dystonia, specific mechanism-based treatments are available. Advances in understanding the biological basis for many types of dystonia have led to numerous recent clinical trials, so additional treatments are likely to become available in the very near future.