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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffDoctors don't know what causes most cases of dystonia, but it has been linked to communication problems between nerve cells located in the basal ganglia — an area of the brain involved in initiating muscle contractions.
While many cases of dystonia have no obvious cause, the disorder sometimes results from an underlying neurological problem, such as:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Stroke
- Brain tumor
- Oxygen deprivation
- Infections, such as tuberculosis or encephalitis
- Reactions to certain drugs
- Heavy metal or carbon monoxide poisoning
