dystonia

[dis-toh-nee-uh]

noun

Pathology.

1. abnormal tone of any tissue.

dystonia

/ dɪsˈtəʊnɪə /

noun

1. a neurological disorder, caused by disease of the basal ganglia, in which the muscles of the trunk, shoulders, and neck go into spasm, so that the head and limbs are held in unnatural positions

Other Word Forms

• dystonic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dystonia¹

dys- + -tonia

Word History and Origins

Origin of dystonia¹

from _dys- + -tonia from Greek tonos tension, from teinen to stretch

Example Sentences

Jacob was diagnosed with the rare condition when he was a few days old, and since developed gastrointestinal dystonia, a debilitating stomach condition caused by neurological impairment.

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It’s happened often enough that scientists at the Mayo Clinic have a more formal definition for it—involuntary wrist spasms that can stem from a neurological condition called focal dystonia.

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He was diagnosed with a hypoxic brain injury, meaning his brain was starved of oxygen, and four-limb dystonia, which can lead to uncontrolled spasms in his arms and legs.

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Marie McCormick, 64, has dystonia, which causes muscle spasms in her upper limbs and neck, and she said the situation was "discriminatory".

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DBS is a surgical treatment for people with severe movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease and dystonia.

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