Sensorimotor Control in Dystonia

Abstract

This is an overview of the sensorimotor impairments in dystonia, a syndrome characterized by sustained or intermittent aberrant movement patterns leading to abnormal movements and/or postures with or without a tremulous component. Dystonia can affect the entire body or specific body regions and results from a plethora of etiologies, including subtle changes in gray and white matter in several brain regions. Research over the last 25 years addressing topics of sensorimotor control has shown functional sensorimotor impairments related to sensorimotor integration, timing, oculomotor and head control, as well as upper and lower limb control. In the context of efforts to update the classification of dystonia, sensorimotor research is highly relevant for a better understanding of the underlying pathology, and potential mechanisms contributing to global and regional dysfunction within the central nervous system. This overview of relevant research regarding sensorimotor control in humans with idiopathic dystonia attempts to frame the dysfunction with respect to what is known regarding motor control in patients and healthy individuals. We also highlight promising avenues for the future study of neuromotor control that may help to further elucidate dystonia etiology, pathology, and functional characteristics.

EEG measures of sensorimotor processing and their development are abnormal in children with isolated dystonia and dystonic cerebral palsy

“…Although many studies demonstrate abnormal sensory processing in dystonia ( Frasson et al, 2001 , Tinazzi et al, 2003 , Desrochers et al, 2019 , Avanzino et al, 2015 ), most focus on adults with isolated genetic or idiopathic dystonias and few studies have investigated sensory processing in acquired dystonia or in dystonia during childhood ( McClelland, 2017 ), when sensorimotor development is still ongoing. This important aspect of dystonia pathophysiology is often neglected in dystonia research ( McClelland, 2017 ), despite the fact that many isolated genetic dystonias present in early-mid childhood and many acquired dystonias arise from perinatal onset lesions (e.g.…”

Studying the functional connectivity of the primary motor cortex with the binarized cross recurrence plot: The influence of Parkinson’s disease

“…subthalamus!substantia nigra/internal pallidum !MT!M1) [4,49,50]. The glutamatergic MT!M1 projection stimulates the M1 activity, and its depression has been involved in the hypokinesia (a partial loss of muscle movements) and hypertonia (an increase of the muscle tone that hampers the voluntary movement and alters the body position) of PD patients [51][52][53]. The bCRP of the control subjects suggests that the MT-M1 co-activation may be particularly relevant for muscle tone during the first 40 sec of the resting-task block and for the motor activity during the 50-160 sec of the motor-task block.…”

Cortical neurophysiology of primary isolated dystonia and non‐dystonic adults: A meta‐analysis

“…Reduced afferent-induced inhibition indicates abnormal sensorimotor integration within M1, which is unsurprising as cortical processing of sensory information is known to be abnormal in dystonia (Avanzino et al, 2015;Murase et al, 2006). Abnormal sensorimotor control may be responsible for several impairments, such as impaired sensation, proprioception, spatial and temporal perception, oculomotor control, among others experienced in dystonia (Desrochers et al, 2019). The presence of a sensory geste also suggests abnormal reliance on sensorimotor networks, and a potential mechanism for alleviating the dystonic contraction (Desrochers et al, 2019).…”

“…Abnormal sensorimotor control may be responsible for several impairments, such as impaired sensation, proprioception, spatial and temporal perception, oculomotor control, among others experienced in dystonia (Desrochers et al, 2019). The presence of a sensory geste also suggests abnormal reliance on sensorimotor networks, and a potential mechanism for alleviating the dystonic contraction (Desrochers et al, 2019). Understanding the mechanisms leading to reduced afferent-induced inhibition in isolated dystonia may provide novel therapeutic targets which could be explored in future research for alleviating sensorimotor symptoms.…”