Mental Status Test Scores are Inversely Correlated with Tremor Severity: A Study of 161 Elderly Essential Tremor Cases.

Background: There is an increasing awareness that patients with essential tremor (ET) may exhibit non-motor features, including cognitive dysfunction. Yet there are surprisingly few data in ET on the association, if any, between cognitive dysfunction and motor dysfunction (i.e.

Mirror movements in essential tremor: prevalence and relationship to mini-mental status test scores.

Background: Mirror movements (MM) are mirror reversals of contralateral, voluntary alternating or repetitive limb movements. MM have been described in age-related neurological diseases, including essential tremor (ET). MM could represent a motor release sign.

Cognitive motor interference during dual-task gait in essential tremor.

Background: Functional ambulation requires concurrent performance of motor and cognitive tasks, which may create interference (degraded performance) in either or both tasks. People with essential tremor (ET) demonstrate impairments in gait and cognitive function. In this study we examined the extent of interference between gait and cognition in people with ET and controls during dual-task gait.

High width variability during spiral drawing: further evidence of cerebellar dysfunction in essential tremor.

Essential tremor (ET) is among the most prevalent neurological diseases, yet the location of the primary disease substrate continues to be a matter of debate. The presence of intention tremor and mild gait ataxia suggests an underlying abnormality of the cerebellum and/or cerebellar pathways. Uncovering additional signs of cerebellar dysfunction would further substantiate the proposition that ET is a disease of the cerebellar system.

Factors associated with receptivity to deep brain stimulation surgery among essential tremor cases.

Background: A sizable proportion of essential tremor (ET) patients suffer from medically-refractory ET. Although deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery is a safe and highly effective treatment, it may be under-utilized. We are unaware of studies that assess ET patients' attitudes toward DBS surgery and the factors that motivate them toward or away from such surgery.

Quantitative gait analysis in essential tremor reveals impairments that are maintained into advanced age.

Background: Essential tremor (ET) patients seem to have impaired gait and balance, yet surprisingly few studies have utilized quantitative analysis to study these impairments. With one exception, these prior studies examined gait on a treadmill, which does not approximate functional environmental conditions (level ground). Moreover, these studies tested middle-aged subjects so it remains unclear whether ET patients maintain a pattern of deficits that is in excess of that seen in controls, even into advanced ages.

Estimating annual rate of decline: prospective, longitudinal data on arm tremor severity in two groups of essential tremor cases.

Background: Despite its high prevalence, there are surprisingly few prospective, longitudinal data on the clinical course of essential tremor (ET). Patients themselves often want to know from their treating physician whether and by how much their tremor is expected to worsen over time.

Methods: As part of two research protocols, prospective, longitudinal data were collected on tremor severity in two samples of ET cases (44+39 cases, combined n=83).

Increased number of heterotopic Purkinje cells in essential tremor.

Objective: Recent postmortem studies reveal degenerative changes, including Purkinje cell (PC) loss, in most brains from individuals with essential tremor (ET). Heterotopic PCs (HPCs) (ie, PC bodies displaced into the molecular layer) may be found in neurodegenerative diseases with PC loss. HPCs have been observed in ET but no quantitative case control analysis has been performed.