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Writer's Cramp: a Controlled Trial of Habit Reversal Treatment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Angelika Wieck ,
Richard Harrington ,
Isaac Marks  and
Colin Marsden
Angelika Wieck*
Affiliation:
Maudsley and Bethlem Royal Hospital, London; Institute of Psychiatry and Maudsley and Bethlem Royal Hospital
Richard Harrington
Affiliation:
Maudsley and Bethlem Royal Hospital; Institute of Psychiatry and Maudsley and Bethlem Royal Hospital
Isaac Marks
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London, Maudsley and Bethlem Royal Hospital
Colin Marsden
Affiliation:
University Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and King's College Hospital
*
∗de Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF
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Abstract

In uncontrolled studies, several behavioural methods, including habit reversal, were said to be useful in writer's cramp. In this controlled study, 23 subjects with writer's cramp recruited from a neurology clinic were randomly allocated to five sessions over four weeks of either habit reversal training or a control treatment of relaxation training. Three subjects dropped out. Twenty patients (9 habit reversers, 11 controls) completed the trial up to three months follow-up. Outcome measures included observation of writing within the session, assessment of writing tasks completed at home, and blind ratings by an independent assessor. The results showed that habit reversal was no better than relaxation. Taking both treatments together, patients improved to three months follow-up on seven of nine measures, but remained substantially handicapped.

Type
Brief Reports
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 153 , Issue 1 , July 1988 , pp. 111 - 115
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1988 

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