Principal Investigator: Brian Berman, MD

The overall goal of this proposed research is to investigate the effects of a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) on brain network function and symptoms in patients who have been diagnosed with isolated focal dystonia.

If you are interested in participating in the study, please contact Erika Shelton at (303) 724 – 5865 or via email at Erika.Shelton@CUAnschutz.edu.

Dystonia Patients are eligible if the following apply:

  • Age 18 years old and older.
  • Must be right-handed.
  • Patients must not have had any changes to their dystonia medications for at least 30 days and must not have been injected with botulinum toxin within the last 10 weeks.

Dystonia Patients are ineligible if the following apply:

  • Anything that would prevent you for having an MRI scan (pregnancy, metal in the body).
  • Anything that would prevent you from being able to receive tES and/or TMS (history of seizures, pregnancy).
  • Any untreated neurological or psychiatric condition or any significant systemic medical diseases (heart failure, liver failure, etc).
  • Evidence of any potentially confounding neurological disorder.
  • Evidence of significant cognitive impairment.
  • Patients with dystonia symptoms beginning prior to age 18.
  • Patients with secondary dystonia resulting from medications or that are part of other neurological disorders.