How does dystonia affect the nervous system?
Dystonia disrupts the nervous systems ability to allow the brain and the muscles to communicate. The bodys ability to control muscle movements is very complicated and involves many areas in the brain. The area of the brain that is believed to be most affected by dystonia is called the basal ganglia. The basal ganglia are a deep region of the brain that monitors the speed of movement and controls unwanted movements. The basal ganglia are responsible for sending signals to the muscles instructing them when to move and when to stop moving. For reasons we dont yet understand, the basal ganglias instructions to the muscles become irregular and chaotic, resulting in the unwanted muscle movements and contractions. In addition, as researchers began learning more about task-specific dystonias such as the various forms that affect musicians, it became clear that there is a sensory component to dystonia symptoms. Not only does the brain send irregular messages to the brain, but the affected muscl
