Tarannum Khan

RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME

To the Editor: We read with interest the articles by Becker et al.1 and Lin et al.2 regarding the effectiveness of pramipexole in the treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS). Prior to their report, we treated two patients with ropinirole and four patients with pramipexole for drug-resistant primary or secondary RLS. All patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for RLS.3 The characteristics of the patients are shown in the accompanying table. There are three men and three women with an average age of 70 years (range 64–85) and duration of illness ranging from 1 to 50 years. All patients had a trial of standard anti-RLS medications with partial or no response. The average …

Traditional Pharmacotherapeutic Approaches to Dystonia: Mode of Action of Currently Used Drugs for the Treatment of Dystonia

Dystonia is a movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions of opposing muscle groups, resulting in twisting postures and abnormal positions. As a phenomenology, it is classified under hyperkinetic movement disorders. This chapter discusses the traditional pharmacological management of various types of focal and generalized dystonias. Despite the recent advances in the genetic etiologies of dystonia, the treatments predominantly still remain symptomatic at present. Current treatments can be generally subdivided into oral medications, injections or chemodenervation in the affected muscles, and surgical approaches. The chemodenervation treatment of dystonia and surgical treatments will be discussed elsewhere in the book. In this chapter, we will focus on the traditional pharmacotherapeutic options and their evidence-based support.