Dystonic Hyperkinesis in Young Children

Abstract

In young children, dystonic hyperkinesis may be part of many syndromes that have different etiological factors, prognosis, and treatment. The review presents a variety of clinical variants of dystonia: idiopathic benign forms of dystonia with onset in the first year of life, dystonic syndromes against the background of residual damage to the nervous system, hereditary idiopathic dystonia, symptomatic dystonia, and some similar conditions. Diagnosis of dystonia in children requires the use of a wide range of examinations, including neuroimaging methods, continuous video-EEG monitoring, and genetic studies. Differential diagnosis of dystonia in children is carried out with various paroxysmal conditions of childhood of epileptic and non-epileptic nature.