Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder that can be disabling. Those who suffer from the condition experience muscle contractions that cause twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures. The causes are not completely known or understood, but it is believed to be either inherited or caused by factors such as birth-related or physical trauma, infection, poisoning (such as lead poisoning), or reaction to drugs (such as Reglan, also known as metoclopramide, a common medication to treat heartburn, GERD and gastroparesis). For one athletic young woman, the cause was likely due to a seasonal flu shot.

25-year-old Desiree Jennings, who was training to be a professional football cheerleader, got a flu shot in August. Ten days later she began suffering from dystonia. Now she cannot walk or talk without difficulty. Oddly, she can run seemingly normally. While running she can talk normally, too. She can even walk backwards without the excessive movements. But when she stops or begins to move forward, the jerking movements come back.

Reactions to the flu shot like Jennings’ is rare, but the risk of developing a type of dystonia is greater with some medications. For example, the Food and Drug Administration earlier this year issued a black box warning on Reglan after reports of patients who took the medication began suffering from a type of dystonia known as Tardive Dyskinesia. Up to 20 percent of consumers who took Reglan for more than 12 weeks contracted the disorder. Now the drug’s label warns users against long-term use, but the warnings come too late for too many who are suffering just like Jennings.

SOURCE: Reglan Side Effects › Woman suffers from movement disorder after getting flu shot

According to researchers at the Feinstein Institute, there are two separate pathways in the brain that influence the severity of the symptoms of movement disorders. All individuals who carry the mutations and symptoms for dystonia have an abnormal pathway between the cerebellum and the thalamus. These patients also have a normal second pathway between the thalamus and the cortex. However, researchers found that patients who have the mutation in the first pathway as well as in the second pathway have no symptoms of dystonia. In effect, the two defects seem to cancel each other out.

Researchers say this could be promising news to individuals who suffer from various movement disorders, from Parkinson’s disease to Tardive Dyskinesia, a condition that results from long term use of medications such as metoclopramide, a treatment for GERD and gastroparesis, and antidepressants.

One surgical treatment for both that has shown promising improvements in motor symptoms is known as deep brain stimulation, or DBS. Which leads researchers to ask, does abnormal brain wiring improve dystonia the same way as DBS?

Source: Brain Blogger

SOURCE: Reglan Side Effects › Brain mutation may prevent movement disorders