Patients with primary cervical dystonia have evidence of discrete deficits in praxis.

Background: Functional imaging and electrophysiological data from patients with primary dystonia reveal widespread abnormalities in brain areas associated with higher motor functions but to date there has been little investigation of the functional consequences of these abnormalities. The aim of this study was to use a battery of tests of praxis, based on those tests used in routine clinical examination, to uncover evidence of higher motor dysfunction in patients with primary cervical dystonia.

Methods: Praxis was assessed in 13 patients with primary cervical dystonia without hand involvement and in 29 age and sex matched controls.