Reorganization of the Human Somatosensory Cortex in Hand Dystonia

Writer’s cramp is a task-specific focal hand dystonia characterized by agonist and antagonist muscle co-contraction causing abnormal posturing. Previous studies have shown abnormal activation of the primary sensorimotor cortex during writing1 and structural primary somatosensory cortex (SI) involvement.2 There is considerable evidence of sensory involvement in writer’s cramp.3–7 In the present study we mapped the finger representations in somatosensory cortices [SI and secondary somatosensory cortex (SII)] in writer’s cramp patients using H215O positron emission tomography (PET).