Charity Registration No: 1077578

The Epidemiological Survey of Dystonia (ESD)

Blepharospasm - An lnterim Definition

This paper is designed as an assistance to people in defining what Blepharospasm is, how it can affect people and help to determine how it may be treated. The information is taken from the Epidemiological Survey of Dystonia (ESD), which was completed after six full years of research from 6th May 1993 to 5th May 1999 with 937 people registered in the North East of England. There are currently 1,600 people registered in the ESD.

There were 165 people with Blepharospasm in the ESD with 5 people with Blepharospasm as well as other forms of dystonia. This represents 17.6% of the entire dystonic population in the survey. These were divided between 66 patients at Hunters Moor Hospital in Newcastle, 47 from Sunderland Eye Infirmary and 33 North Riding Infirmary patients with 19 others not registered at these three main hospitals in the region.

Darlington is a typical North Eastern town with approximately 100,000 population. Therefore, using Darlington as a testing ground for the research, it has currently the highest concentration of dystonia anywhere in the world, with currently 48.14 people per 100,000 people with dystonia. There were 12 cases of Blepharospasm in the Postal Codes DL1, DL2 and DL3, thus making an average 11. 9 cases per 100,000 people in the town.

The following shows where all 165 people with Blepharospasm live in the region, ie 74 in Tyne & Wear, 41 in Co. Durham, 21 in Cleveland, 10 in Northumberland, 7 in Cumbria, 3 in North Yorkshire, 2 in the rest of Yorkshire and 7 in other areas outside the region.

AGB: 31.01.2000

© A.D.D.E.R. 2000