MDS 2020 | Challenges in diagnosing and treating dystonia

Susanne Schneider, MD, PhD, University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany, discusses the challenges when diagnosing dystonia. Dystonia can display a variety of phenotypes and without a current biomarker, it can be difficult to distinguish organic and functional dystonia. In Parkinson’s disease, up to 15% of patients could display clinical phenotypes but have a normal DaT scan. In clinical trials, these patients were identified as SWEDDS or scans without evidence of dopaminergic deficit. Therefore, dopaminergic medication would not benefit these patients. Prof. Schneider emphasizes the importance of treating the cause rather than the phenotype of disease. This interview was recorded during an online conference call with The Video Journal of Neurology (VJNeurology).