A long-term follow-up of botulinum toxin A in cervical dystonia

Objective: Cervical dystonia ( CD) is the most common form of adult-onset focal dystonia, and botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) has become the first-line treatment for this condition. Methods: In this work, we present data of 207 CD patients treated with BoNT-A for 6.7 +/- 3.5 years. One hundred and sixty-three patients were treated with Dysport ( mean dose, 389 +/- 144 U) and 44 with Botox (mean dose, 145 +/- 44 U). Results: The mean clinical benefit, based on a 0-3 scale (0=no effect, 1=slight, 2=moderate and 3=marked improvement) was similar for Dysport (2.5 +/- 0.3) and Botox (2.2 +/- 0.4). Adverse events were mild and similar for both products. Fewer than 2% of the patients developed neutralizing antibodies. Discussion: These data confirm the efficacy and safety of BoNT-A treatment in CD over an extended period of up to 14 years. [Neurol Res 2009; 31: 463-466]