To accurately describe the “form” of dystonia that an individual has, at least four specific pieces of information must be accounted for
The age at which the symptoms started
How the body is affected
What is known about the cause
If the dystonia occurs with symptoms of additional neurological disorders
All of the above is needed to set the best course for treatment, but for the sake of routine conversation, most people use the terms that describe the most prominent feature of the dystonia
for example, cervical dystonia for dystonia that affects the neck and shoulders , dopa-responsive dystonia for the form of childhood-onset dystonia that has characteristics that resemble parkinsonism
