Table 1

Baseline characteristics of study population.

BoNT n=25Placebo n=23
Age, year (median; IQR)50.0 (40.0; 61.5)54.0 (37.0; 57.0)
Gender, n (%)
 Male14 (56)14 (61)
Duration of disease, year (median; IQR)5.0 (2.1; 13.4)5.3 (2.2; 9.0)
Fahn and Williams diagnostic criteria, n (%)
 Clinically definite18 (72.0)16 (69.6)
 Clinically probable7 (28.0)7 (30.4)
Additional phenomenology based on PMDRS, n (%)
 Dystonia12 (48.0)10 (43.5)
 Tic3 (12.0)2 (8.7)
Distribution of jerks/tremor, n (%)
 Abdomen12 (48.0)11 (47.8)
 Extremity13 (52.0)12 (52.2)
Education level, n (%)
 Primary school1 (4.0)2 (8.7)
 Lower education4 (16.0)3 (13.0)
 Medium education/higher school11 (44.0)12 (52.2)
 Higher education/university9 (36.0)6 (26.1)
 Unemployed17 (68.0)13 (56.5)
 Disease-related*13 (52.0)11 (47.8)
Clinical neurophysiology, n (%)†13 (52.0)14 (60.9)
 Pre-movement potential11 (61.5)11 (57.1)
Previous treatment, n (%)‡21 (84.0)22 (95.7)
 Rehabilitation4 (16.0)5 (21.7)
 Physiotherapy8 (34.8)9 (36.0)
 Psychotherapy5 (20.0)7 (30.4)
 Other§17 (68.0)17 (73.9)
  • *Other forms of financial income included retirement (n=4 BoNT vs n=1 placebo), study (n=1 placebo).

  • †EEG-EMG with backaveraging could not be performed in the whole population.

  • ‡More than one category could apply per patient.

  • §Other treatment includes acupuncture, homeopathic treatment, alternative medicine, hypnosis, benzodiazepines, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), anti-epileptics, dopamine-agonists.

  • BoNT, botulinum neurotoxin; EEG, electroencephalogram; EMG, electromyogram; PMDRS, Psychogenic Movement Disorder Rating Scale.