Task-related brain activity in upper limb dystonia revealed by simultaneous fNIRS and EEG.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore differences in brain activity and connectivity using simultaneous electroencephalography and near-infrared spectroscopy in patients with focal dystonia during handwriting and finger-tapping tasks.

Methods: Patients with idiopathic right upper limb focal dystonia and controls were assessed by simultaneous near-infrared spectroscopy and electroencephalography during the writing and finger-tapping tasks in terms of the mu-alpha, mu-beta, beta and low gamma power and effective connectivity, as well as relative changes in oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) and deoxyhemoglobin using a channel-wise approach with a mixed-effect model.

Results: Patients exhibited higher oxy-Hb levels in the right and left motor cortex and supplementary motor area during writing, but lower oxy-Hb levels in the left sensorimotor and bilateral somatosensory area during finger-tapping compared to controls.

Blepharospasm Patients after Botulinum Toxin - Sleep Approach.

 Blepharospasm is a focal dystonia that affects the orbicularis oculi muscles. The interest in nonmotor symptoms is due to their impact on quality of life.  We evaluated the frequency of sleep disorders and circadian rhythm in a sample of Brazilian blepharospasm patients.

Neuropsychological and clinical heterogeneity of cognitive impairment in patients with multiple system atrophy.

Objective: We evaluated neuropsychological tests to compare cognitive impairment between two types of multiple system atrophy: predominant parkinsonism (MSA-P) and predominant cerebellar ataxia (MSA-C).

Patients And Methods: This cross-sectional study included 14 patients diagnosed with MSA: four with MSA-C and ten with MSA-P. Presence of motor symptoms was determined by using the Unified Rating MSA Scale (URMSAS).

Tic Disorder: An Unusual Presentation of Neurotoxoplasmosis in a Patient with AIDS.

Movement disorders have been increasingly recognized in patients with HIV infection and may be due to distinct causes, as opportunistic infections or medication side effects for example. Parkinsonism, tremor and hemichorea have been more frequently noted in association with HIV and opportunistic infections. However, a variety of involuntary movements have already been described.

Screening of Brazilian families with primary dystonia reveals a novel THAP1 mutation and a de novo TOR1A GAG deletion.

The TOR1A and THAP1 genes were screened for mutations in a cohort of 21 Brazilian patients with Primary torsion dystonia (PTD). We identified a de novo delGAG mutation in the TOR1A gene in a patient with a typical DYT1 phenotype and a novel c.1A > G (p.

Retrocollis, anterocollis or head tremor may predict the spreading of dystonic movements in primary cervical dystonia.

Background And Purpose: Few studies have attempted to develop clinical predictors for cervical dystonia (CD) aiming at progression of the dystonic movement.

Method: We retrospectively evaluated 73 patients with primary CD who underwent treatment with Botulinum toxin type-A (BTX-A). The patients were assembled in two groups according to the spread of dystonia during follow-up: spreading and non-spreading CD.

Young onset Hemifacial Spasm in patients with Chiari type I malformation.

Hemifacial spasm (HFS) resulting from Chiari type I malformation (CIM) is rare. We retrospectively evaluated five patients with CIM and HFS among a series of 103 subjects. The frequency of HFS associated to CIM was of 4.