Gardner Center for Parkinson's Disease

and Movement Disorders

234 Goodman Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219 | (866) 941-UCNI (8264)

Sensory and emotional processing in Psychogenic Dystonia: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Study Number: 
10-07-09-01
Topic: 
Psychogenic Dystonia
Pricipal Investigator: 
Alberto J Espay
Dates: 
October 1, 2010
Ongoing: 
Ongoing
Place: 
Center for Imaging Research, Medical Arts Building
Overview: 

To demonstrate the extent to which neuronal circuits underlying movement in adult patients with psychogenic (psychological-based) dystonia differ from those of idiopathic organic dystonia using functional MRI and somatosensory stimulation task.


To determine whether disturbances in the emotional circuitry associated with psychogenic dystonia and can be used to distinguish it from its organic counterpart. 

Qualifications: 

12 patients with clinically definitive psychogenic unilateral or asymmetric limb dystonia based on established clinical criteria will be included (Fahn and Williams 1988). These criteria include, but are not limited to, incongruity or inconsistency of dystonic movements, false weakness, non-anatomic sensory changes, onset of dystonia at rest, pain, excessive slowness of movements, multiple somatizations, bizarre nature of the movements, and tenderness to light touch, among others. 


12 patients with idiopathic limb dystonia. 


12 healthy control subjects with no history of neurological or general medical conditions matched for age, handedness, and gender with the PsyD subject.

Contact: 

For more information, please contact Erin Neefus, at erin.neefus@uc.edu or (513) 558-6555.