Physiological assessment of paroxysmal dystonia secondary to subacute sclerosing panencephalitis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report on a 26-year-old woman with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) who presented with frequent paroxysmal dystonic posturing. Electroencephalogram demonstrated generalized 5 to 10-second episodes of high-amplitude (150-300 μV) delta activity alternating with 10 to 20-second periods of theta activity (40-50 μV). The patient experienced episodes of dystonic posturing coinciding with the periods of delta activity. Ictal Tc-99m Ceretec SPECT demonstrated marked increased activity in the bilateral caudate (R>L). The frequency and amplitude of the episodes initially markedly improved after the addition of carbamazepine. We suggest that the movements seen in this case of SSPE may represent basal ganglia ictal activity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)154-157
Number of pages4
JournalMovement Disorders
Volume17
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2002

Keywords

  • Carbamazepine
  • Myoclonus
  • Paroxysmal dystonia
  • Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Neurology
  • General Neuroscience

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Physiological assessment of paroxysmal dystonia secondary to subacute sclerosing panencephalitis'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this