Myoclonus-dystonia
Last updated 18 Aug 2020
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Myoclonus-dystonia is a movement disorder that typically affects the neck, torso, and arms. Individuals with this condition experience quick, involuntary muscle jerks or twitches (myoclonus). About half of individuals with myoclonus-dystonia develop dystonia, which is involuntary tensing of various muscles that causes unusual positioning. In myoclonus-dystonia, dystonia often affects one or both hands, causing writer's cramp, or the neck, causing the head to turn (torticollis).
Description
Myoclonus-dystonia is a movement disorder that typically affects the neck, torso, and arms. Individuals with this condition experience quick, involuntary muscle jerks or twitches (myoclonus). About half of individuals with myoclonus-dystonia develop dystonia, which is involuntary tensing of various muscles that causes unusual positioning. In myoclonus-dystonia, dystonia often affects one or both hands, causing writer's cramp, or the neck, causing the head to turn (torticollis).
The movement problems usually first appear in childhood or early adolescence with the development of myoclonus. In most cases, the movement problems remain stable throughout life. In some adults, myoclonus improves with alcohol consumption, which can lead to affected individuals self-medicating and developing alcohol use disorder.
People with myoclonus-dystonia often develop psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Inheritance patterns
The source lists the following possible inheritance patterns: Autosomal dominant. More than one pattern can apply in different cases.
Related genes
Other names
Dystonia 11
DYT11
Myoclonus-dystonia syndrome
Related patient information and medicines
Patient information leaflet
Dystonia
Patient information leaflet
Blepharospasm
Eyelid twitching
Patient information leaflet
Torticollis
Wry neck
Patient information leaflet
Huntington's disease
Patient information leaflet
Botox
Botulinum toxin injections
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Patient information leaflet
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD)
Further reading and references
- Myoclonus-dystonia; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- Esapa CT, Waite A, Locke M, Benson MA, Kraus M, McIlhinney RA, Sillitoe RV, Beesley PW, Blake DJ. SGCE missense mutations that cause myoclonus-dystonia syndrome impair epsilon-sarcoglycan trafficking to the plasma membrane: modulation by ubiquitination and torsinA. Hum Mol Genet. 2007 Feb 1;16(3):327-42. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddl472. Epub 2007 Jan 2.
- Gerrits MC, Foncke EM, Koelman JH, Tijssen MA. Pediatric writer's cramp in myoclonus-dystonia: maternal imprinting hides positive family history. Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2009 Mar;13(2):178-80. doi: 10.1016/j.ejpn.2008.03.007. Epub 2008 Jun 20.
- Groen JL, Ritz K, Jalalzadeh H, van der Salm SM, Jongejan A, Mook OR, Haagmans MA, Zwinderman AH, Motazacker MM, Hennekam RC, Baas F, Tijssen MA. RELN rare variants in myoclonus-dystonia. Mov Disord. 2015 Mar;30(3):415-9. doi: 10.1002/mds.26070. Epub 2015 Feb 4.
- Mencacci NE, Rubio-Agusti I, Zdebik A, Asmus F, Ludtmann MH, Ryten M, Plagnol V, Hauser AK, Bandres-Ciga S, Bettencourt C, Forabosco P, Hughes D, Soutar MM, Peall K, Morris HR, Trabzuni D, Tekman M, Stanescu HC, Kleta R, Carecchio M, Zorzi G, Nardocci N, Garavaglia B, Lohmann E, Weissbach A, Klein C, Hardy J, Pittman AM, Foltynie T, Abramov AY, Gasser T, Bhatia KP, Wood NW. A missense mutation in KCTD17 causes autosomal dominant myoclonus-dystonia. Am J Hum Genet. 2015 Jun 4;96(6):938-47. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2015.04.008. Epub 2015 May 14.
- Nardocci N, Zorzi G, Barzaghi C, Zibordi F, Ciano C, Ghezzi D, Garavaglia B. Myoclonus-dystonia syndrome: clinical presentation, disease course, and genetic features in 11 families. Mov Disord. 2008 Jan;23(1):28-34. doi: 10.1002/mds.21715.
- Peall KJ, Kurian MA, Wardle M, Waite AJ, Hedderly T, Lin JP, Smith M, Whone A, Pall H, White C, Lux A, Jardine PE, Lynch B, Kirov G, O'Riordan S, Samuel M, Lynch T, King MD, Chinnery PF, Warner TT, Blake DJ, Owen MJ, Morris HR. SGCE and myoclonus dystonia: motor characteristics, diagnostic criteria and clinical predictors of genotype. J Neurol. 2014 Dec;261(12):2296-304. doi: 10.1007/s00415-014-7488-3. Epub 2014 Sep 11.
- Ritz K, Gerrits MC, Foncke EM, van Ruissen F, van der Linden C, Vergouwen MD, Bloem BR, Vandenberghe W, Crols R, Speelman JD, Baas F, Tijssen MA. Myoclonus-dystonia: clinical and genetic evaluation of a large cohort. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2009 Jun;80(6):653-8. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2008.162099. Epub 2008 Dec 9.
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