eMedicine Specialties > Neurology > Movement and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Writer's Cramp: Differential Diagnoses & Workup
Updated: Jan 19, 2010
- Overview
- Differential Diagnoses & Workup
- Treatment & Medication
- Follow-up
Differential Diagnoses
Dopamine-Responsive Dystonia
Multiple Sclerosis
Parkinson Disease
Wilson Disease
Other Problems to Be Considered
Primary writing tremor
Postural tremor
Idiopathic torsion dystonia
Workup
Imaging Studies
- MRI - If a structural lesion is suspected
Procedures
- Electromyography/nerve conduction studies
- To evaluate for nerve injury, if trauma is the suspected cause
- Confirm diagnosis by showing simultaneous contraction of agonist and antagonist muscles
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Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Writer's Cramp |
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References
Tinazzi M, Farina S, Bhatia K, Fiaschi A, Moretto G, Bertolasi L, et al. TENS for the treatment of writer's cramp dystonia: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Neurology. Jun 14 2005;64(11):1946-8. [Medline].
Goto S, Shimazu H, Matsuzaki K, Tamura T, Murase N, Nagahiro S, et al. Thalamic Vo-complex vs pallidal deep brain stimulation for focal hand dystonia. Neurology. Apr 15 2008;70(16 Pt 2):1500-1. [Medline].
Baur B, Schenk T, Furholzer W, Scheuerecker J, Marquardt C, Kerkhoff G, et al. Modified pen grip in the treatment of Writer's Cramp. Hum Mov Sci. Oct 2006;25(4-5):464-73. [Medline].
Chen R, Hallett M. Focal dystonia and repetitive motion disorders. Clin Orthop. Jun 1998;(351):102-6. [Medline].
Chen RS, Tsai CH, Lu CS. Reciprocal inhibition in writer's cramp. Mov Disord. Sep 1995;10(5):556-61. [Medline].
Cohen LG, Hallett M. Hand cramps: clinical features and electromyographic patterns in a focal dystonia. Neurology. Jul 1988;38(7):1005-12. [Medline].
Epidemiologic Study of Dystonia in Europe (ESDE) Collaborative Group. Sex-related influences on the frequency and age of onset of primary dystonia. Neurology. Nov 10 1999;53(8):1871-3. [Medline].
[Best Evidence] Kruisdijk JJ, Koelman JH, Ongerboer de Visser BW, de Haan RJ, Speelman JD. Botulinum toxin for writer's cramp: a randomised, placebo-controlled trial and 1-year follow-up. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. Mar 2007;78(3):264-70. [Medline].
Marsden CD, Sheehy MP. Writer's cramp. Trends Neurosci. Apr 1990;13(4):148-53. [Medline].
Rhoad RC, Stern PJ. Writer's cramp--a focal dystonia: etiology, diagnosis, and treatment. J Hand Surg Am. May 1993;18(3):541-4. [Medline].
Schmidt A, Jabusch HC, Altenmuller E, et al. Dominantly transmitted focal dystonia in families of patients with musician's cramp. Neurology. Aug 22 2006;67(4):691-3. [Medline].
Further Reading
Keywords
focal hand dystonia, graphospasm, musician's cramp, writer's cramp, focal dystonia, dystonic conditions, repetitive movements, spinal reciprocal inhibition
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Writer's Cramp