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The Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) has stood up for the dystonia community since 1976. Join us in our global effort to find a cure.

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Dystonia News

Latest Developments
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Botulinum Neurotoxin Therapy Survey

We need your valuable input. Please consider participating in a brief, anonymous survey to help the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation better understand your experiences with botulinum neurotoxin injections. Individuals who are diagnosed with dystonia and receive treatment in the USA are welcome to participate. Click here to participate.  Any questions, please contact us.    

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100+ Support Nashua Dystance4Dystonia Walk for a Cure

Congratulations and many thanks to event organizer Mandi Sleeper and her 100+ supporters who participated in the Nashua Dystance4Dystonia Walk in New Hampshire on May 5 to support the mission of the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF). The event was covered by The Telegraph, bringing much-needed awareness to the community. Estimates suggest the event raised […]

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Thank You Volunteers!

The Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) could not function without dedicated, enthusiastic volunteers. This includes the Board of Directors, Medical & Scientific Advisory Council, support group leaders, online forum moderators, event organizers, fundraisers, awareness activists, legislative advocates, area contacts, clinical study recruits, and countless others who lend their time and energy to support DMRF and […]

Dystonia Events

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Dystonia Advocacy Day

March 26-27, 2019

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Twin Cities Zoo Walk

June 22, 2019

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Join us, and be a part of the global effort to find a cure for dystonia

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Current Dystonia Research Investigations

The Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) prides itself on a long history of supporting and stimulating dystonia research.
Neuroanatomical Substrates for Disrupted Eif2alpha Signaling in Dystonia

Although dystonia is among the top three most common conditions evaluated in neurological movement disorder clinics, the precise mechanisms for dystonia are poorly understood and there are no known disease-modifying treatments. This project proposes to advance our understanding of dystonia mechanisms and to explore specific cellular pathways to target in order to treat the disease. Observations in multiple forms of dystonia have implicated a specific cellular pathway in the brain as a central source of dysfunction. This pathway is involved in responding to cellular stressors and mediating plasticity responses in the brain. This study proposes to identify the brain regions, cell types, and developmental periods in which the pathway’s activation is disrupted in dystonia mouse models and to test whether a genetic manipulation that would boost the pathway’s activity will reduce negative effects of the DYT1 mutation. This knowledge will advance our understanding of the cellular mechanism of dystonia and provide key proof-of-principle experiments to determine whether targeting the pathway is beneficial.

Nicole Calakos, MD, PhD Duke University (USA)
Myoclonus-Dystonia, a Study of Motor and Non-Motor Symptoms: Is there a Role for Serotonin?

This study will compare the present symptoms of myoclonus-dystonia (M-D) patients to the symptoms they had 10 years ago to assess how the symptoms evolve over time. Since M-D patients frequently experience non-motor symptoms including psychological difficulties, sleep disturbances, and fatigue, it is believed these symptoms are part of the disease, not secondary consequences, and may result from an altered metabolism of a brain neurotransmitter called serotonin. This study will analyze serotonin levels in the blood of M-D patients, healthy controls, and cervical dystonia patients. A genetic study of serotonin-related genes will also be performed.

Marina A.J. de Koning-Tijssen, MD, PhD University of Groningen (The Netherlands)
Striatal Neuron Activity Patterns in Dystonia

The causes of dystonia are not clearly understood but abnormal signaling within the striatum, a region of the brain that controls movement, is thought to be involved. It is now possible to record the firing patterns of dozens of neurons simultaneously in the striatum of awake dystonic mice to reveal the abnormal neural code associated with dystonia. Technology known as in vivo microscopy will be used in mice with dystonia to visualize the firing patterns of neurons within the striatum. Mice will be recorded while they are dystonic and after they have been treated with drugs that alleviate the dystonia. By comparing the different firing patterns with and without dystonia, these experiments will reveal the neural code associated with dystonia for the first time. In the short term, these experiments will provide important information that could be useful to guide stimulation parameters for deep brain stimulation in dystonia patients. In the long-term, understanding the neural code of dystonia will provide important information for the development of novel therapeutics that target the abnormal neural code.

Ellen Hess, PhD Emory University (USA)
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