There are few data on rate of progression in essential tremor (ET). To quantify the rate of tremor progression in a cross-sectional sample of 348 ET cases in an epidemiological study; characterize the relationship between age of tremor onset and rate of tremor progression in that sample; and characterize the relationship between age of tremor onset, rate of tremor progression, and severity of u...

A double blind trial of a single 40 mg dose of the beta adrenergic blocking agent propranolol in the treatment of essential tremor produced significant reduction of tremor in four of five patients, but this effect was transient and had considerably diminished within four hours. A month's double blind clinical trial of propranolol, in a dose of 30 mg three times a day, showed that the active dru...

Conflicting results on the existence of tremor-related cortical activity in essential tremor (ET) have raised questions on the role of the cortex in tremor generation. Here we attempt to address these issues. We recorded 64 channel surface EEGs and EMGs from forearm muscles in 15 patients with definite ET. EEG and EMG power spectra, relative power of the rhythmic EMG activity, relative EEG powe...

We investigated the relationship between synchronized muscle activity and tremor time series in (enhanced) physiological tremor by cross-spectral analysis. Special attention was directed to the phase spectrum and its potential to clarify the contribution of reflex mechanisms to physiological tremor. The phase spectra are investigated assuming that the electromyogram (EMG) synchronization was ca...

BACKGROUND Prevalence estimates vary 2750-fold among the 20 studies of essential tremor (ET). It is not clear how the choice of diagnostic criteria affects research results. OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of alternative sets of diagnostic criteria on the diagnosis of ET. METHODS As part of the Washington Heights-Inwood Genetic Study of ET (WHIGET), a population-based study of ET, 285 sub...

BACKGROUND Jaw tremors in essential tremor (ET) rarely represent anything other than a cosmetic concern. PHENOMENOLOGY SHOWN A case of an ET patient whose jaw tremor was severe enough to result in cracked teeth. EDUCATIONAL VALUE It behooves treating clinicians to be aware of the full spectrum of this movement disorder.

In a population-based sample, we determined whether a larger proportion of essential tremor (ET) cases reported hearing impairment compared with controls. Ninety-six (38.7%) of 248 ET cases versus 1,371 (29.4%) of 4,669 controls (p = 0.002) reported hearing impairment. In a logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, gender, educational level, depressive symptoms, and dementia, participants ...

Five patients were treated with pindolol for various indications. The patients called attention to the appearance of fine tremors in their extremities 6-72 hr after starting treatment with the drug. The tremors disappeared 24-72 hr after stopping the drug. Beta-adrenoceptor-blockers are known to suppress different types of tremor and the paradoxical appearance of tremors during pindolol treatme...