They are currently recruiting people with focal hand dystonia to participate in a research study examining brain activity in this disorder. The study involves one three hour functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning session and performance of simple motor tasks, such as finger tapping, imagined finger tapping, and watching a videotape of someone else finger tapping. In particular, we wish to investigate whether the part of the brain that controls
movement becomes active more easily in people with dystonia than in people who do not have the disorder, and how rest or use of dystonic parts of the body may change this.

We prefer to include people who have not previously received botox injections; if you have plans to receive these injections after you have completed the study, however, you will have the option to come back for a second study to test how this treatment influences brain activity. Aside from the dystonia,subjects must be in good general health and, in particular, have no other neurologic or psychiatric illnesses.

The study pays $100 for the first three-hour session, and an additional
$150 if you come back for a second three-hour session after receiving botox injections.