Objective: To evaluate the effect of age at diagnosis, impact on social and family life, and complications of dystonia (such as inability to communicate correctly or cognitive symptoms) on patients’ working capacity.
Background: Although it is known that dystonia and its treatments can have both social and cognitive communicative repercussions, there are no studies that analyze whether these difficulties are related to the ability to work.
Method: We present a transversal descriptive study carried out in the national Spanish association of Dystonia and two Movement Disorders Units. The data were obtained through an online questionnaire self-administered.
Results: The sample includes 75 women and 44 men with focal (42% women, 36% men), segmental (46% women, 50% men) or generalized dystonia (10% women, 13% men).
Men and women were evaluated separately.
The questionnaire allows patients to self-assess the impact of dystonia on their working capacity in three categories: no work impact, need to adapt the job or inability to work (disability/retirement).
Three groups were established according to the age at which they were diagnosed (less than 40, 41-50 and 51-65). No relationship was found between age of diagnosis and work capacity in women (p=0.97) or men (p=0.33).
On the other hand, patients who had a greater impact on their social and family life due to dystonia had more impact on their working capacity. These results were statistically significant for women (p=0.02) and for men (p=0.001).
Finally, although there was a tendency for people with communication problems (women 15%, men 25%), isolated cognitive problems (women 11%, men 0%) or both (women 9%, men 11%) to have a greater impact on their job, a statistically significant relationship cannot be established (women p=0.09, men p=0.22).
Conclusion: It would be necessary to take social measures to adapt the work needs of patients with dystonia before their working capacity is affected, especially in those whose social and/or family life is affected.
Further studies based on the socioeconomic situation of these patients could help implement actions that improve their quality of life.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
E. Casas, E. Cañada, R. Berbegal, S. Lozano, G. Cabañas, N. Mena, M. Campos, R. Pastor, A. Patiño, I. Muro, L. Lopez-Manzanares, A. Alonso-Canovas. Dystonia and Impact on Employment in a Spanish Cohort [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2024; 39 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/dystonia-and-impact-on-employment-in-a-spanish-cohort/. Accessed May 16, 2025.« Back to 2024 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/dystonia-and-impact-on-employment-in-a-spanish-cohort/