Article

Advances in structural and functional imaging have provided
both scientists and clinicians with information about the neural mechanisms
underlying focal hand dystonia (FHd), a motor disorder associated with aberrant
posturing and patterns of muscle contraction specific to movements of the hand.
Consistent with the hypothesis that FHd is the result of reorganization in
cortical fields, studies in neuroimaging have confirmed alterations in the
topography and response properties of somatosensory and motor areas of the brain.
Noninvasive stimulation of these regions also demonstrates that FHd may be due to
reductions in inhibition between competing sensory and motor representations.
Compromises in neuroanatomical structure, such as white matter density and gray
matter volume, have also been identified through neuroimaging methods. These
advances in neuroimaging have provided clinicians with an expanded understanding
of the changes in the brain that contribute to FHd.
These findings should provide
a foundation for the development of retraining paradigms focused on reversing
overlapping sensory representations and interactions between brain regions in
patients with FHd. Continued collaborations between health professionals who
treat FHd and research scientists who examine the brain using neuroimaging tools
are imperative for answering difficult questions about patients with specific
movement disorders.

Langue : ANGLAIS