Rehabilitation of a Cellist Whose Vibrato Was Affected by Focal Dystonia

Rae de Lisle, BA, LRSM, LTCL, Dale B. Speedy, MBChB, MD, and John M.D. Thompson, PhD Med Probl Perform Art 2012; 27(4):227–230.

Focal dystonia can result in a variety of technical problems in the

performing musician, most often affecting control of finger movement,

and embouchure. Less common is the effect of focal dystonia

on the vibrato of string players. The professional cellist in our study

presented with difficulty controlling her vibrato, which fluctuated

both in speed and amplitude, causing an inconsistency of sound.

This study investigated whether instrumental retraining could alleviate

her condition. We report the novel finding that instrumental

retraining can significantly improve the symptoms of a dystonic

vibrato in a cellist.

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