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Intact Organization of Tactile Space Perception in Isolated Focal Dystonia
Author(s) -
Mainka Tina,
Azañón Elena,
Zeuner Kirsten E.,
Knutzen Arne,
Bäumer Tobias,
Neumann WolfJulian,
Borngräber Friederike,
Kühn Andrea A.,
Longo Matthew R.,
Ganos Christos
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
movement disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.352
H-Index - 198
eISSN - 1531-8257
pISSN - 0885-3185
DOI - 10.1002/mds.28607
Subject(s) - focal dystonia , forehead , cervical dystonia , dystonia , tactile perception , psychology , blepharospasm , perception , somatosensory system , physical medicine and rehabilitation , audiology , movement disorders , neuroscience , medicine , anatomy , pathology , disease
Background Systematic perceptual distortions of tactile space have been documented in healthy adults. In isolated focal dystonia impaired spatial somatosensory processing is suggested to be a central pathophysiological finding, but the structure of tactile space for different body parts has not been previously explored. Objectives The objective of this study was to assess tactile space organization with a novel behavioral paradigm of tactile distance perception in patients with isolated focal dystonia and controls. Methods Three groups of isolated focal dystonia patients (cervical dystonia, blepharospasm/Meige syndrome, focal hand dystonia) and controls estimated perceived distances between 2 touches across 8 orientations on the back of both hands and the forehead. Results Stimulus size judgments differed significantly across orientations in all groups replicating distortions of tactile space known for healthy individuals. There were no differences between groups in the behavioral parameters we assessed on the hands and forehead. Conclusions Tactile space organization is comparable between patients with isolated focal dystonia and healthy controls in dystonic and unaffected body parts. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society