Diagnóstico da Distonia - Distonia Aparece na Ressonância Magnética? | Dr Diego de Castro

A question many patients have is whether dystonia shows up on MRI scans. So, if the MRI was normal, does that mean I don't have anything? Diagnosing dystonia relies more on the neurologist's expertise to identify the signs and symptoms of dystonia. Additional tests are intended to rule out other causes that could be leading to dystonia. Dystonia alterations occur at the brain circuit level, that is, in the way nerve signals are transmitted from one nerve cell to another. The connection between neurons is inadequate, or there is a dysfunction in a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which regulates the transmission of nerve impulses between motor neurons. What MRI Scans Show Current MRI scans work like a photograph. Imagine taking a picture of a wire in an electrical system. Even if the wire appears to be fine, that doesn't mean the electrical current is flowing through it normally. The next generation of MRIs will be able to demonstrate brain function. This technology is called functional MRI and, for now, is only available in research protocols. When MRI Reveals Dystonic Changes A subgroup of patients presents with structural changes that are the cause of dystonia. This is very common in children who suffered head trauma during birth, resulting in a brain injury, and this injury is the cause of dystonia. In adult patients, the brain injuries that cause dystonia, which we can see on MRI, are due to a stroke, brain infections, or cranial trauma. These are secondary causes of dystonia. In other words, dystonia occurs due to some structural change. This is why we can see them on MRI. However, it is very important to understand that, most of the time, MRIs do not show changes. This does not mean the patient does not have dystonia. Most neurologists will request the test to rule out other possible structural causes of dystonia. Learn more about dystonia by reading our articles: Cervical Dystonia | Spasmodic Torticollis https://drdiegodecastro.com/dystonia-... Writer's Cramp - Task-Specific Hand Dystonia Treatment https://drdiegodecastro.com/dystonia-... Oromandibular Dystonia - Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment https://drdiegodecastro.com/dystonia-... Did you like this video? Subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications to be the first to receive all our content on Neurology, Neurological Diseases, and their Treatments. Follow our content on other social media platforms: Website: https://drdiegodecastro.com/ Facebook:   / drdiegodecastro   Instagram:   / drdiegodecastro   Twitter:   / dneurologista   LinkedIn:   / diego-de-castro-dos-santos-24aa85151   Pinterest:   / ddecastrodossantos   See also our Neurology website in Vitória: https://especialidades-neurologicas.w...