TORTICOLLIS SPASMODICUS. EINE UNTERSUCHUNG ZU SYMPTOMATIK, VERLAUF, FAMILIENANAMNESE UND PSYCHOPATHOLOGIE

32 patients who had had a spasmodic torticollis for approximately 8 years, participated in a study that produced a rating of the neurologic symptoms (deviating posture, reduced mobility, rigidity, tremor, spasmodic movements, and neck pain), and a psychiatric exploration of the following variables: progression, prior treatment, family history, effect of the 'manipulation', subjective rating of the etiology, ability to relax, psychopathology and the MMPI. In addition a control group of patients with Parkinson's disease completed the MMPI. The torticollis patients had, besides the well known neurological symptoms and a frequently positive neurologic and/or psychiatric family history, only exceptionally additional neurologic peculiarities or psychiatric diagnoses. The patients presented in some MMPI variables values outside the standard area, that sometimes correlated strongly with the neurologic symptoms. The patients with Parkinson's disease had a very similar deviation. Hence the pathologic MMPI profile probably demonstrates an unspecific reaction to a chronic disease. None of the investigated variables was important to clinical symptoms. At present, no substantiated classification or subgroup formation is available.