OnabotulinumtoxinA in the Management of Psychogenic Dystonia

Specific Aim 1: To investigate the effect of BoNT on PsyD severity and disability.

We will measure the changes in severity, duration, and incapacitation scores of the Rating Scale for Psychogenic Movement Disorders (RSPMD)10 in adult patients with clinically definite PsyD one month after intramuscular injections with onabotulinumtoxinA in selected muscles of the affected limb(s).

H1: PsyD patients treated with onabotulinumtoxinA injections will demonstrate lower severity and disability at one month than those having received placebo injections.

Specific Aim 2: To investigate the effect of CBT on PsyD severity and disability with and without BoNT pretreatment.

We will examine the extent to which any changes in severity and disability of PsyD, as measured by the RSPMD, after 12 weekly CBT sessions, can be influenced by pre-CBT injections with onabotulinumtoxinA.

Inclusion criteria

• Subjects must meet standard criteria for clinically definite PsyD;17
• PsyD severity and disability score ≥ 10 as measured by the RSPMD (Appendix 1);10
• Dystonic posturing must have been present without remission for a period longer than 1 year.
• Between the ages of 18 and 75, inclusive

Exclusion criteria

• Prior treatment with any BoNT
• Presence of clinically unstable medical condition other than the condition under evaluation
• Concurrent participation in another investigational drug or device study within 30 days prior to study enrollment.
• We will also exclude subjects with medical disorders deemed at increased risk when exposed to BoNT, including myasthenia gravis, Eaton-Lambert syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or other neuromuscular disorders.