Dystonia

Dystonia is a common movement disorder, characterised by involuntary movements or abnormal postures. Sleep disruption has been reported in dystonia despite the easing of motor symptoms during sleep, suggesting that the involuntary regulation of arousal/motor control is also perturbed in dystonia. Dystonia and sleep disturbances both correlate with changes in synaptic plasticity. Yet it is unclear whether overlapping synaptic mechanisms cause sleep abnormalities and motor phenotypes in dystonia, and whether reduced sleep quality impacts the severity of dystonic movements. Using Fly models of dystonia and in collaboration with Jepson Lab at UCL-ION, we plan to address this knowledge gap.