Essential Tremor
Essential tremor is a disorder of basal ganglia function and the most common cause of tremor in human (incidence in population is 1%). Its onset is pretty early and most of the patients are young adults. Typical is a positive family history and improvement after alcohol. It is getting worse during some activities of daily life (drinking, writing, eating,...).
Sometimes it can be mistaken for Parkinson´s tremor and, because there is no specific test for the essential tremor, so we have to think about it. It is anticipated that there is a connection between these diseases and people can suffer from both of them simultaneously and their symptoms can overlap. Parkinson´s disease reacts on L-dopa therapy, essential tremor usually not.
Etiology[edit | edit source]
We are still not sure about the origin of this disease, but evidently there is a association with disorder of basal ganglia and cerebellum.
1) Hereditary Form[edit | edit source]
- autosomal dominant hereditary of genetic mutation
- includes more than 50% of all cases
2) Sporadic Form[edit | edit source]
- there is no genetic mutation, but we are not sure about the cause of this form
Signs of Tremor[edit | edit source]
- occurs at rest and it´s twice as fast (8-12 Hz) as in people with Parkinson´s disease
- mainly affects head or upper limbs
- usually assymetric
- improves after consumation of alcohol
- getting worse during movement, stress and emotions
- middle-age onset
- in 50% of cases a positive family history
Therapy[edit | edit source]
Medication of the first choice are β-sympatholytics (propranolol) and the second on are anti-seizure drugs (primidon). The other option are tranquilizers, for people, whose tremor worsens by anxiety or stress.
There is one more solution for people with essential tremor, which do not answer on medication and has severe course. It´s a deep brain stimulation, although it has many adverse affects and risks.
Links[edit | edit source]
Related articles[edit | edit source]
External links[edit | edit source]
Bibliography[edit | edit source]
- JEDLIČKA, KELLER,, et al. Speciální neurologie. 1st edition. 2005. ISBN 80-7262-312-5.
Essential tremor is a disorder of basal ganglia
function and the most common cause of tremor in human (incidence in population is 1%). Its onset is pretty early and most of the patients are young adults. Typical is a positive family history and improvement after alcohol. It is getting worse during some activities of daily life (drinking, writing, eating,...).
Sometimes it can be mistaken for Parkinson´s tremor
and, because there is no specific test for the essential tremor, so we have to think about it. It is anticipated that there is a connection between these diseases and people can suffer from both of them simultaneously and their symptoms can overlap. Parkinson´s disease reacts on L-dopa therapy, essential tremor usually not.
Primidone structure
Etiology
We are still not sure about the origin of this disease, but evidently there is a association with disorder of basal ganglia
and
cerebellum
.
1) Hereditary Form
autosomal dominant hereditary of genetic mutation
includes more than 50% of all cases
2) Sporadic Form
there is no genetic mutation, but we are not sure about the cause of this form
Signs of Tremor
occurs at rest and it´s twice as fast (8-12 Hz) as in people with
Parkinson´s disease
mainly affects head or upper limbs
usually assymetric
improves after consumation of alcohol
getting worse during movement, stress and emotions
middle-age onset
in 50% of cases a positive family history
Therapy
Medication of the first choice are β-sympatholytics (propranolol) and the second on are anti-seizure drugs (primidon). The other option are tranquilizers, for people, whose tremor worsens by anxiety or stress.
There is one more solution for people with essential tremor, which do not answer on medication and has severe course. It´s a deep brain stimulation
, although it has many adverse affects and risks.
Links
Related articles
External links
Bibliography
- JEDLIČKA, KELLER,, et al. Speciální neurologie. 1st edition. 2005. ISBN 80-7262-312-5.
