History of Botulinum Toxin Treatment in Movement Disorders

BACKGROUND: The frontiers of clinical medicine constantly expand as a result of the innovative efforts of visionary researchers and keen observations of seasoned clinicians. In medicine, rarely has a therapeutic agent been found efficacious in the management of so many symptoms and in such a relatively short time as botulinum toxin. One of the most notable contributions of botulinum toxin therapy in clinical medicine is in the field of movement disorders. METHODS: The English literature was searched using the Yale search engine including but not limited to PubMed and Ovid. The search includes articles from January 1 1980 to March 1 2016. RESULTS: A total of 2055 articles were identified. Of these, 132 met the criteria for this review. DISCUSSION: This historical review highlights early and seminal contributions that have introduced the application of botulinum toxins in the field of movement disorders and provides evidence-based contributions that have established botulinum toxin as an effective treatment for abnormal movements.