Agency in Dystonia

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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In this study, using computerized cognitive assessments combined with multi-modal neuroimaging approach investigators aim to address three specific questions on patients with cervical and myoclonus dystonia: (i) investigate various aspects of the sense of agency and relationship to the severity of dystonia symptoms, (ii) characterize the possible link between abnormalities of movement perception and alteration of sense of agency in dystonia, (iii) (identify the neuronal underpinnings of the defective sense of agency in dystonia.

Detailed Description
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This is a single-centre, two-group ( dystonia and control), case-control study using behavioural and novel multimodal neuroimaging techniques to address the study aims. The battery of the tasks will include explicit-agency tasks, a visual discrimination task on objects movement perception. The magnetic resonance acquisition protocol will include MP2RAGE structural (10 min duration), multi echo (3 echo times) multiband (MB factor 4) resting state functional neuroimaging (15 minutes duration) and multi shell diffusion imaging sequence (15 minutes duration)

Official Title
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Neuronal Correlates of Agency in Dystonia

Conditions
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Dystonia, Primary

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Behavioral testing - computerized tasks


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: diagnosis of isolated adult-onset cervical dystonia (CD) or myoclonus dystonia (MD); duration of disease of more than one year no botulinum toxin injection for at least three months before the study normal or corrected-to-normal vision. Exclusion Criteria any neurological history except for dystonia, history of dopamine antagonist treatment, secondary dystonia, dystonia in the upper limbs, inability to maintain gaze straight.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 15 Years
Maximum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Two groups study : patients versus healthy controls
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Other: Patients<br>25 patients with cervical and 25 patients with myoclonus dystonia | Behavioral: Behavioral testing - computerized tasks<br>* Cognitive behavioral testing and cerebral MRI<br>|
| Other: Controls<br>50 healthy volunteers matched to patents ( age, sex) | Behavioral: Behavioral testing - computerized tasks<br>* Cognitive behavioral testing and cerebral MRI<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| agency tasks behavioral outcome measures | response time | throughout study completion, an average 2 years | 
| agency tasks behavioral outcome measures | response accuracy in tasks trials | throughout study completion, an average 2 years | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MRI measures | cortical thickness | throughout study completion, an average 2 years | 
| MRI measures | basal ganglia volume | throughout study completion, an average 2 years |