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Related Experiment Videos

Writer's cramp.

C D Marsden1, M P Sheehy

  • 1University Department of Clinical Neurology, National Hospital for Nervous Diseases, Queen Square, London, UK.

Trends in Neurosciences
|April 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Writer's cramp, a focal motor disorder related to dystonia, is often mistakenly believed to be psychological. Recent evidence confirms it as a genuine motor condition, not a psychological issue.

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Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Movement Disorders

Background:

  • Writer's cramp, recognized for over a century, was historically misclassified as a psychological disorder ('professional neuroses').
  • This misclassification stemmed from descriptive terminology and prevailing psychiatric theories, obscuring its true nature.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of writer's cramp and similar occupational cramps.
  • To highlight the motor pathology of these conditions and their relationship to dystonia.
  • To draw the attention of neuroscientists to this under-researched area.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing research on writer's cramp and occupational cramps.
  • Analysis of historical and contemporary evidence regarding the aetiology and pathophysiology.

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  • Summary of clinical features and treatment options.

    • Main Results:

    • Accumulating evidence strongly supports writer's cramp as a focal motor disorder.
    • A close relationship between writer's cramp and dystonia is evident.
    • The condition is distinct from psychological pathologies.

    Conclusions:

    • Writer's cramp is a genuine focal motor disorder, not a psychogenic condition.
    • Further research is needed to fully understand its pathophysiology and optimize treatments.
    • Neuroscientists should focus more attention on these task-specific movement disorders.