I wish to all of you and in particular to all the patients affected with dystonia a happy New Year. I hope 2012 will be a year of good response to treatment and very mild difficulties due to the condition.
Dr Marie-Helene Marion
Botulinum toxin (Botox) has transformed the treatment of focal dystonia over the last 25 years. Dr Marion lectured at the SENA meeting about the contribution of Botox to neurology…
South of England Neurology Association (SENA)
The 2nd December, St George’s Hospital
Botulinum toxin (BTX/ Botox) has transformed the treatment of focal dystonia.
Dr Jeff Kimber, neurologist organised The South of England Neurology Association (SENA) meeting, hosted this time at St George’s Hospital, London. In the morning session, several talk were on movement disorders. Dr Salah Omer gave a lecture on Progressive Myoclonic Epilepsy, and Dr Bridget Mcdonald adressed the questions of the long term prognosis of cerebral palsy. I gave a lecture on the contribution of Botulinum toxin to Neurology over the last 25 years.
In 1985, I remembered as a research fellow running a clinic dedicated to patients with cervical dystonia for which the only treatment was anticholinergic drugs (triheyphenidryl, procyclidine), physiotherapy and peripheral denervation surgery (cutting the nerves of the neck muscles). Patients with focal dystonia have always a major functional disability as the dystonic spasms are triggered by action. Oromandibular dystonia is the source of chewing or speaking difficulties. Blepharospasm can lead to functional blindness. Writer’s cramp stops the patient writing. Cervical dystonia interferes with walking, writing, working in front of a screen. Spasmodic dysphonia makes talking on the phone an impossible task…
Botox treatment has been a revolution for these patients, giving them a relief and the possibility to carry on their daily activities.
It’s important to inform the public and the funding body in healthcare profession that Botulinum toxin is not a beauty cream but a major therapeutic tool and that every department of neurology should be given the resources to offer this treatment to their patients.
Marie-Helene Marion
London Btx Centre
Few words about me…
Dr Marie-Hélène Marion, specialist in Botox treatment for 25 years.
My name is Marie-Hélène Marion and I am a consultant neurologist, specialized in the use of Botulinum toxin (also called Botox) in Neurology. I started blogging 2 months ago about Botox, Dystonia and Hyperhydrosis and I enjoyed every minute of it. Of course at the beginning I had some hesitations, but quickly I realized that blogging for patients and talking to patients during a clinic, have a lot in common, except that you don’t know and you don’t see the reactions of your readers.
My training
I studied medicine at the University of Clermont-Ferrand in the heart of the beautiful volcanic region of Auvergne. Then went to Paris to study Neurology as an “ Interne des Hopitaux de Paris” in the most prestigious departments of that time and in parallel studied Neuro-pharmacology (how the drugs work in the brain)
Then I started to have itchy feet and went to London to specialize in movement disorder as a research fellow under Professor David Marsden for 2 years. His passion for Parkinson’s disease, Dystonia and the all field of involuntary movement was contagious and never left me since.
My work as a movement disorder specialist on both sides of the channel
I went back to Paris in September 1986 to work as a Chef de Clinique and pioneer in France the use of Botulinum toxin in Neurology. Then in 1998 I crossed again the channel to follow my Australian husband and worked for 12 years at St George’s hospital, in London, running Movement disorders clinics and various Botulinum toxin clinics. At St George’s I still run a clinic specialized in excessive sweating, in particular facial sweating and hands sweating, and a clinic for voice disorders and severe bent neck.
The London BTX Centre
Now my main clinical activity is at the London BTX Centre in Sloane Square that I founded 6 years ago, dedicated to the treatment of focal dystonia, (Blepharospasm, Cervical dystonia, Jaw dystonia, Writer’s cramp, Musician’s cramp), Hemifacial spasm, Facial palsy, Tremor, Bruxism and excessive sweating.
A special mention for patients with voice disorders who are seen in a joint clinic, unique in London, with an ENT-voice specialist (Ms Lucy Hicklin) and a neurologist (MH Marion).
Dr Marie-Helene Marion (neurologist) and MS Lucy Hicklin ( ENT surgeon, Voice specialist)
Academic interests
In parallel, I pursue academic projects in the movement disorders field and published this year on Parkinson’s disease and also on complex cervical dystonia with my junior colleagues at St George’s Hospital. I recently organized the British Neurotoxin Network (BNN) which gathered all the clinicians over UK who are running Botox services for neurological conditions.
I am a regular invited speaker in international meetings on the field of movement disorders and organized workshops on the use of Botox treatment in neurology, as European expert in the field.
At the XXth World congress of Neurology in Marrakesh, yesterday a group of French neurologists (Dr Christophe Vial from Lyon, Pr Pierre Krystkowiak from Amiens,) with Pr Ouafae Messouak from Fes (Morocco) and I run a workshop of Botulinum toxin injection techniques in Neurology. It was a great success with more than 45 people attending and working with us all day. We had colleagues from Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, the Emirates, India, Thailand, Belgium, Norway and USA. Mr. Olivier Seguin from the drug company Allergan kindly provided mannequins (called Elvis and Elvira !) which help us to do some “hands on” practices.
It was a very interactive teaching where we met our colleagues in particular from Africa. The BTX services in Africa already exist, in particular in Maghreb where there are very active (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco). In the other part of Africa, and the Middle East the development of the services is based on individual’s initiative of neurologists, with an interest in movement disorders.
Talking with our African colleagues, we felt the need for setting up an African and Middle East Neurotoxin Network (AMENN), following the model of the British Neurotoxin Network (the BNN). It will help the neurologists to be less isolated in their practices, and to allow African patients to access services locally without travelling at great cost to Europe for treatment many times a year.
“With Africa, for Africa” was the motto of this world congress.
Picture of the workshop faculty
Dr Marie-Helene Marion (London BTX centre), Dr Christophe Vial (Lyon, France), Pr Ouafae Messouak (Fes, Marocco), Pr Pierre Krystowiak (Amiens, France)
I have been treating patients with dystonia for the last 25 years with Botulinum toxin injections. Patients have many questions left unanswered because dystonia is a rare condition and the image of Botox has been diverted to the cosmetic industry. Patients with hyperhydrisosis also feel very isolated and often don’t dare talking about their condition. The aim of this blog is to help patients to carry on …
Dr MH Marion
Infodystonia 