Short-lived response of cervical dystonia to electroconvulsive therapy

Cervical dystonia (CD) or spasmodic torticollis is the most frequent form of focal dystonia. Cervical dystonia is characterized by sustained neck spasms, abnormal head posture, head tremor, and pain. A 53-year-old male patient with the diagnosis of CD developed an episode of delusional depression and was treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). An unexpected and dramatic improvement of CD was seen during the first 2 days after each ECT session. That therapeutic effect was not sustained and vanished soon afterward. The effectiveness of ECT for CD, although too brief to be recommended as a useful treatment, may shed light on the pathophysiology of this problematic movement disorder.