Changes in brain anatomy in focal hand dystonia

Abstract

No consistent cerebral anatomical abnormality has ever been reported in primary focal hand dystonia (FHD). The present voxel-based morphometry study showed a significant bilateral increase in gray matter in the hand representation area of primary somatosensory and, to a lesser extent, primary motor cortices in 36 patients with unilateral FHD compared with 36 controls. The presence of anatomical changes in the perirolandic cortex for the unaffected hand as well as that for the affected hand suggests that these disturbances may be, at least in part, primary.