Potential risk factors for substance abuse (SA) in patients with cervical dystonia (CD) include younger age and male gender with comorbid anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric problems, according to a recent study. Therefore, caution should be exercised when prescribing drugs with potential for abuse in these patients. Data on anxiety, depression, dystonia severity, and substance abuse were collected from 10 sites participating in the Dystonia Coalition. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of SA, utilizing Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-4 criteria. Researchers found:

• Of 208 CD patients, 23 (11%) were identified with SA; 26.3% of patients with SA were on opiates compared to 7.2% of CD patients without SA.
• Compared to non-SA patients, those experiencing SA were more likely male (88.9%), younger (median age 55), and scored worse on questionnaires assessing depression, anxiety, and dystonia psychiatric severity.