RELATIVE ABSENCE OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN BENIGN ESSENTIAL BLEPHAROSPASMAND HEMIFACIAL SPASM

We report on the psychopathology and illness-related changes of life i n patients with benign essential blepharospasm (BEB) or hemifacial spa sm (HFS). Fifty-six patients with BEB and 40 patients with HFS complet ed the SCL 90R, a screening instrument for psychiatric symptomatology, and the Freiburg Questionnaire for Dystonia (FQD), a questionnaire ab out psychosocial changes in subjects with movement disorders. In both BEB and HFS patients, the mean scores on all but one subscale of the S CL 90R remained within the double standard deviation of normal. In com paring BEB to HFS patients in illness-related changes of life, BEB pat ients were more severely disabled in all areas of life examined. Psych ological distress in BEB, but not in HFS, correlated with physical dis ability and in particular with impairment of vision.