Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in primary Meige syndrome: motor and non-motor outcomes

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has emerged as a promising treatment for movement disorders. This prospective study aims to evaluate the effects of bilateral subthalamic nucleus DBS (STN-DBS) on motor and non-motor symptoms in patients with primary Meige syndrome.

METHODS

Thirty patients who underwent bilateral STN-DBS between April 2017 and June 2020 were included. Standardized and validated scales were utilized to assess the severity of dystonia, health-related quality of life, sleep, cognitive function and mental status at baseline and at 1 year and 3 years after neurostimulation.

RESULTS

The Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale movement scores showed a mean improvement of 63.0% and 66.8% at 1 year and 3 years, respectively, after neurostimulation. Similarly, the Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale disability scores improved by 60.8% and 63.3% at the same time points. Postoperative quality of life demonstrated a significant and sustained improvement throughout the follow-up period. However, cognitive function, mental status, sleep quality and other neuropsychological functions did not change after 3 years of neurostimulation. Eight adverse events occurred in six patients, but no deaths or permanent sequelae were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Bilateral STN-DBS is a safe and effective alternative treatment for primary Meige syndrome, leading to improvements in motor function and quality of life. Nevertheless, it did not yield significant amelioration in cognitive, mental, sleep status and other neuropsychological functions after 3 years of neurostimulation.

Oromandibular dystonia: a dental approach

Oromandibular dystonia consists of prolonged spasms of contraction of the muscles of the mouth and jaw. Primary idiopathic forms and secondary forms exist. Secondary dystonia develops due to environmental factors; some cases of cranial dystonia after dental procedure have been reported, but the causal relationship between these procedures and dystonia remains unclear. Traumatic situations in the mouth, such as poor aligned dentures or multiple teeth extractions may cause an impairment of proprioception of the oral cavity, leading to subsequent development of dystonia. The clinical characteristics of oromandibular dystonia are classified according to the affected muscles. The muscles involved may be the muscles of mastication, muscles of facial expression, or the muscles of the tongue. At present, there is no known cure for OMD. The mainstay of treatment for most focal dystonia is botulinum toxin injections. It is important for the dentist to be familiar with oromandibular dystonia, as it can develop after dental treatment and is often misdiagnosed as a dental problem.

Oromandibular dystonia and persistent psychiatric symptoms in extra-pontine myelinolysis

A 32 years female presented with gradually progressive dysarthria, dysphagia, oromandibular dystonia and mild generalized weakness. She had several episodes of acute psychotic behavior. She had abnormal saccadic eye movements, generalized hypertonia and exaggerated jerks in upper limbs. She was previously treated in a peripheral hospital for severe vomiting and diarrhea. MRI of brain revealed symmetrical T-2 weighted hyperintensities in bilateral putaminal and caudate region along with pons and midbrain suggesting demyelination due to a metabolic insult. Her power improved gradually over days and the dysarthria, dysphagia and oromandibular dystonia improved gradually over several weeks with supportive measures but the psychiatric manifestations are still persisting.

Clinical profile of various sub-types of writer's cramp

We profiled 141 consecutive patients of writer's cramp (WC). Simple WC (n=108) had a mean (SD) disease duration of 3.65 (2.7) years and a severity score of 2.8 (0.91) by Burke-Fahn-Marden (BFM) scale (handwriting score: 0-4 ), whereas complex WC (n=33) had a disease duration of 5.8 (2.81) years and severity score of 3.6 (0.52). Compared with focal WC, generalized WC cases had longer disease duration, severer disability, and were older. Mirror dystonia was seen in 65 patients (46.1%). Co-existent Meige's syndrome (n=4) and cervical dystonia (n=6) were seen. Some patients had abnormal posturing of the neck (n=5) and of the oromandibular region (n=3) only while writing. Those receiving botulinum toxin fared significantly better than those on oral therapy, at 1 month post treatment.

The natural history of embouchure dystonia

Focal task-specific dystonias are unusual disorders of motor control, often affecting individuals who perform complex repetitive movements. Musicians are especially prone to develop these disorders because of their training regimens and intense practice schedules. Task-specific dystonia occurring in keyboard or string instrumentalists usually affects the hand. In contrast, there have been few descriptions of musicians with task-specific dystonia affecting the muscles of the face and jaw. We report detailed clinical observations of 26 professional brass and woodwind players afflicted with focal task-specific dystonia of the embouchure (the pattern of lip, jaw, and tongue muscles used to control the flow of air into a mouthpiece). This is the largest and most comprehensively studied series of such patients. Patients developed embouchure dystonia in the fourth decade, and initial symptoms were usually limited to one range of notes or style of playing. Once present, dystonia progressed without remission and responded poorly to oral medications and botulinum toxin injection. Patients with embouchure dystonia could be separated by the pattern of their abnormal movements into several groups, including embouchure tremor, involuntary lip movements, and jaw closure. Dystonia not infrequently spread to other oral tasks, often producing significant disability. Effective treatments are needed for this challenging and unusual disorder.

Meige syndrome secondary to basal ganglia injury: a potential cause of acute respiratory distress

BACKGROUND

Meige syndrome is a movement disorder that includes blepharospasm and oromandibular dystonias. Its etiology may be idiopathic (primary) or it may arise secondary to focal brain injury. Acute respiratory distress as a feature of such dystonias occurs infrequently. A review of the literature on Meige syndrome and the relationship between dystonias and respiratory compromise is presented.

METHODS

A 60-year-old woman suffered a cerebral anoxic event secondary to manual strangulation. She developed progressive blepharospasm combined with oromandibular and cervical dystonias. Neuroimaging demonstrated bilateral damage localized to the globus pallidus. Years later, she presented to the emergency department in intermittent respiratory distress associated with facial and cervical muscle spasms.

RESULTS

Increasing frequency and severity of the disorder was noted over years. The acute onset of respiratory involvement required intubation and eventual tracheotomy. A partial therapeutic benefit of tetrabenazine was demonstrated.

CONCLUSION

This case highlights two interesting aspects of Meige's syndrome: (1) Focal bilateral basal ganglia lesions appear to be responsible for this patient's movement disorder which is consistent with relative overactivity of the direct pathway from striatum to globus pallidus internal and substantia nigra pars reticularis; (2) Respiratory involvement in a primarily craniofacial dystonia to the point of acute airway compromise.

Blepharospasm and Meige syndrome: a review of diagnostic, aetiological and treatment approaches

No known pathophysiological mechanism can explain the majority of cases of blepharospasm, i.e. spasm of the orbicularis oculi muscle; it may also affect the lower face, neck and jaw--Meige syndrome. Only symptomatic treatment is possible, and surgery should be a last resort for severe cases. Much more clinical research will be required before promising behavioural interventions, including biofeedback, can be considered treatments of choice.

[Blepharospasm and Meige's syndrome--a contribution to it's pathogenesis]

Two cases with blepharospasm followed by Meige syndrome were described. In the first magnetic resonants revealed bilateral hypodensive foci in thalamus. During the few years general dystonia has been developed after several relapses of disease diagnosed as multiple infarcts followed by aphasia, hemiparesis and asynergia. In the other one, who died, loss of neurons in striatum, especially in caudate nuclei was found. It is concluded that blepharospasm could be a syndrome of different origin and only the phase of Meige syndrome.

Case-control study of Meige's syndrome. Result of a pilot study

A pilot case-control study was conducted to identify possible risk factors for Meige's syndrome. Patients with Meige's syndrome and age- and sex-matched controls suffering from other neurological diseases were recruited from the Movement Disorders Clinic and Neurology Outpatient Department of the All India Insititute of Medical Sciences. All participants were interviewed and information regarding psychiatric and medical illnesses, use of medications, exposure to fumes, dust and pets, characteristics such as marital status, socio-economic status, alcohol, tea/coffee use, tobacco use, betel nut chewing and family history of neurodegenerative diseases among first-degree relatives was ascertained. We found that betel nut with tobacco chewing was a significant predictor for Meige's syndrome (adjusted odds ratio 7.4, 95% confidence interval = 1.0-59. 82). The role of local irritation or the effect of some chemicals in tobacco and betel nuts needs further evaluation of the pathogenesis of Meige's syndrome.

Peripherally induced oromandibular dystonia

OBJECTIVES

Oromandibular dystonia (OMD) is a focal dystonia manifested by involuntary muscle contractions producing repetitive, patterned mouth, jaw, and tongue movements. Dystonia is usually idiopathic (primary), but in some cases it follows peripheral injury. Peripherally induced cervical and limb dystonia is well recognised, and the aim of this study was to characterise peripherally induced OMD.

METHODS

The following inclusion criteria were used for peripherally induced OMD: (1) the onset of the dystonia was within a few days or months (up to 1 year) after the injury; (2) the trauma was well documented by the patient's history or a review of their medical and dental records; and (3) the onset of dystonia was anatomically related to the site of injury (facial and oral).

RESULTS

Twenty seven patients were identified in the database with OMD, temporally and anatomically related to prior injury or surgery. No additional precipitant other than trauma could be detected. None of the patients had any litigation pending. The mean age at onset was 50.11 (SD 14.15) (range 23-74) years and there was a 2:1 female preponderance. Mean latency between the initial trauma and the onset of OMD was 65 days (range 1 day-1 year). Ten (37%) patients had some evidence of predisposing factors such as family history of movement disorders, prior exposure to neuroleptic drugs, and associated dystonia affecting other regions or essential tremor. When compared with 21 patients with primary OMD, there was no difference for age at onset, female preponderance, and phenomenology. The frequency of dystonic writer's cramp, spasmodic dysphonia, bruxism, essential tremor, and family history of movement disorder, however, was lower in the post-traumatic group (p<0.05). In both groups the response to botulinum toxin treatment was superior to medical therapy (p<0.005). Surgical intervention for temporomandibular disorders was more frequent in the post-traumatic group and was associated with worsening of dystonia.

CONCLUSION

The study indicates that oromandibular-facial trauma, including dental procedures, may precipitate the onset of OMD, especially in predisposed people. Prompt recognition and treatment may prevent further complications.

Clinical and demographic features of Meige's syndrome

Fifty five patients with Meige's syndrome were examined for clinical and demographic features. The mean age of onset was 52.3 years. The peak age of onset was in the sixth decade with a male to female ratio of 1.11:1. The mean duration of illness was 3.7 years. Commonest initial symptom was increased blinking, seen in 30 cases (54.5%). Twenty five patients (45.4%) had complete syndrome of blepharospasm with oromandibular dystonia, whereas 24 patients (43.6%) had blepharospasm alone and the rest (6 patients, 10.9%) had oromandibular dystonia. The extension of spasm beyond cranial muscles was observed in 10 patients (18.1%). Eleven patients had family history of dystonia or other extrapyramidal disorders. Incidence of depression was high in these cases.

Blepharospasm and related facial movement disorders

The variable clinical features and the relatively good response of blepharospasm to botulinum-toxin type A are now well established. The etiology and pathophysiology of blepharospasm and related facial movement disorders are still poorly understood. Genetic and histopathologic studies over the last year have contributed to our understanding of this disease. The most significant progress has been made in the electromyographic studies of the the levator palpebrae and orbicularis oculi muscles. Subclassification based on the electromyographic abnormalities of these two muscles have begun to improve our understanding of the variable responses to botulinum-toxin type A. Further electromyographic studies may help identify the best sites of injection for optimal response and differentiate patients requiring limited or complete myectomy. The development of the limited myectomy has provided excellent functional and cosmetic results with quick recovery times in selected patients.

Familial spasmodic dysphonia with low arylsulphatase A (ASA) level

Two familial cases of late onset spasmodic dysphonia and low Arylsulphatase A (ASA) are reported. In one case spasmodic dysphonia was associated with negative head tremor and orthostatic tremor, both displayed postural tremor of the upper extremities. A familial predisposition for both focal dystonia and metabolic lysosomal impairment is suggested by similar observations.

Meige syndrome in the spectrum of Lewy body disease

We report a patient with Meige syndrome (segmental cranial dystonia) who had neuropathologic changes of Parkinson's disease on postmortem examination. Neuropathologic examination showed typical and atypical Lewy bodies in the pigmented nuclei of the brainstem (substantia nigra, locus ceruleus), the nucleus basalis of Meynert, and the nucleus ambiguus. Neurochemical analysis of postmortem brain tissue showed evidence for decreased dopamine turnover in the substantia nigra, striatum, and nucleus accumbens. We propose that some cases of Meige syndrome may be included in the spectrum of Lewy body disease.

Complete remission of neuroleptic-induced Meige's syndrome by botulinum toxin treatment: a case report

A botulinum A toxin injection has beneficial effects on patients suffering from facial and cervical spastic disorders. However, its effect almost completely disappears within three months. We have reported a case of a 23-year-old schizophrenic patient with severe neuroleptic-induced Meige's syndrome in whom botulinum toxin treatment exerted a marked effect which lasted more than 15 months after the final injection of botulinum toxin in spite of continuous neuroleptic medication. It is concluded that botulinum can be recommended as a treatment of choice in neuroleptic-induced Meige's syndrome.

[A case of Meige's syndrome associated with post head trauma]

The pathogenesis of Meige's syndrome (MS) is controversial and has yet to be determined up to today. We studied a case of MS associated with post head trauma. The patient was a 52-year-old female. At the age of 46, she began to suffer from oro-lingual dystonia after head trauma induced by a traffic accident and the brief administration of neuroleptics to the delusion deteriorated the dystonia. She showed a wry appearance after 1 year and 6 months of the trauma and began to exhibit blepharospasms, oro-mandibular dystonia and cervical dystonia after 2 years and 3 months. For these symptoms her daily life became difficult. These symptoms were resistant to various drug therapies, although trihexyphenidyl relieved the symptoms transiently. Laboratory examinations and cranial MRI findings were normal. By surface electromyogram of ocular orbicular muscles, bilateral continuous discharge was observed. This patient was diagnosed as MS by clinical symptoms and surface electromyogram findings. It was inferred that the head trauma was associated with the development of MS. We discussed the pathogenesis of MS in the present case and it was speculated that MS was presented by a minute lesion of the brain stem which was produced at the time of the head trauma.

Facial dystonia, essential blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm

Movement disorders, or dyskinesias, in the facial region may be categorized in several ways. Dystonic movement disorders in the cranial-cervical region, including essential blepharospasm, Meige syndrome and spasmodic torticollis, are characterized by uncontrollable squeezing movements in the face and neck. These disorders typically present in the fifth and sixth decades of life. Essential blepharospasm is particularly debilitating, as the involuntary eyelid closure that accompanies this condition may result in functional blindness with an otherwise normal visual pathway. Hemifacial spasm is an intermittent, unilateral, spasmodic contraction of the muscles innervated by the facial nerve. This disorder usually presents in the third or fourth decade and has a different underlying pathophysiology than the dystonias. Botulinum A toxin therapy has largely supplanted surgical intervention in the treatment of essential blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm.

Cranial dystonia, blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm: clinical features and treatment, including the use of botulinum toxin

Blepharospasm, the most frequent feature of cranial dystonia, and hemifacial spasm are two involuntary movement disorders that affect facial muscles. The cause of blepharospasm and other forms of cranial dystonia is not known. Hemifacial spasm is usually due to compression of the seventh cranial nerve at its exit from the brain stem. Cranial dystonia may result in severe disability. Hemifacial spasm tends to be much less disabling but may cause considerable distress and embarrassment. Patients affected with these disorders are often mistakenly considered to have psychiatric problems. Although the two disorders are quite distinct pathophysiologically, therapy with botulinum toxin has proven very effective in both. We review the clinical features, proposed pathophysiologic features, differential diagnosis and treatment, including the use of botulinum toxin, of cranial dystonia and hemifacial spasm.

Meige's syndrome associated with neuroleptic treatment

Meige's syndrome is characterized by blepharospasm and oromandibular dystonia. Three cases are presented; two were associated with long-term neuroleptic administration. This drug-induced syndrome may be a variant of tardive dystonia, and prompt discontinuation of neuroleptic treatment may be therapeutic.

Meige syndrome: neuropathology of a case

Primary Meige syndrome is a form of cranial dystonia of unknown cause. Only three postmortem studies have been reported, and the results of these studies have not been consistent. We have examined the brain of a 72-year-old man with typical primary Meige syndrome and found mild to moderate cell loss in the zona compacta of the substantia nigra, locus ceruleus, midbrain tectum, and dentate nucleus of the cerebellum. Also frequent Lewy bodies were present in pigmented nuclei of the brainstem. No abnormalities were detected elsewhere. These pathological findings support the notion that brainstem pathology is important in the pathophysiology of cranial dystonia.

Meige's syndrome and palatal myoclonus associated with brain stem stroke. A common mechanism?

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"Trick" movements in facial dystonia

Two patients with facial dystonia (blepharospasm and/or oromandibular dystonia) presented with an unusual "trick" movement. Both patients were able to inhibit blepharospasm and oromandibular dystonia by vocalizations including singing, reading, and speaking spontaneously. The significance of "trick" movements in facial dystonia is discussed.