Case-control study of nutritional antioxidant intake in essential tremor.

The theory that oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases has received considerable attention and studies have linked these diseases to the diminished use of antioxidant vitamins (vitamins E and C) and other dietary antioxidants. Essential tremor (ET) is a chronic, progressive disease. One possible disease mechanism is neurodegenerative.

Cerebellar metabolic symmetry in essential tremor studied with 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging: implications for disease pathology.

The pathological basis for essential tremor (ET) is not known; however, metabolic changes in the cerebellum can be observed in positron emission tomography (PET) and (1)H magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) studies. Tremor is relatively symmetric in ET, suggesting that underlying metabolic changes could be also symmetric. The degree of metabolic asymmetry in the cerebellum, however, has not yet been studied in ET, and knowledge about distribution and laterality of metabolic changes might shed some light on basic disease mechanisms.

Semiquantitative study of current coffee, caffeine, and ethanol intake in essential tremor cases and controls.

There are several reasons to study caffeine, coffee, and ethanol intake in essential tremor (ET) patients. ET patients also might modify their use of these beverages because of their effects on tremor. Intake of caffeine, coffee, and ethanol has not been quantified in a group of ET patients.

Olfaction in essential tremor patients with and without isolated rest tremor.

An olfactory deficit is present in patients with essential tremor (ET), but it is often milder than that in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). In both, the deficit occurs early in the disease. Isolated rest tremor without other signs of parkinsonism can occur in patients with ET.

Association between essential tremor and blood lead concentration.

Lead is a ubiquitous toxicant that causes tremor and cerebellar damage. Essential tremor (ET) is a highly prevalent neurologic disease associated with cerebellar involvement. Although environmental toxicants may play a role in ET etiology and their identification is a critical step in disease prevention, these toxicants have received little attention.

Rest tremor in patients with essential tremor: prevalence, clinical correlates, and electrophysiologic characteristics.

Background: Isolated rest tremor, which is observed in some patients with essential tremor (ET), poses a diagnostic challenge. The phenomenon has been examined in few studies and is poorly understood.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and study the clinical correlates of rest tremor in ET and to examine the electrophysiologic features in a subgroup of patients.

Community-based data on associations of disease duration and age with severity of essential tremor: implications for disease pathophysiology.

The pathophysiology of essential tremor (ET) is not well understood, although the tremor often worsens over time. Several processes could contribute, including the inherent worsening of the underlying disease with increasing disease duration and the effects of aging on the nervous system. Our objective was to examine the associations of disease duration and age with tremor severity in ET.

Olfactory dysfunction in essential tremor: a deficit unrelated to disease duration or severity.

Because olfactory dysfunction is a feature of neurodegenerative diseases, the authors hypothesized that it would be present in essential tremor. Thirty-seven cases and control subjects underwent the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test. Mean score was lower in cases than in control subjects (29.

Metabolic abnormality in the cerebellum in patients with essential tremor: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging study.

The pathological basis for essential tremor (ET) is unknown. We used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (1H MRSI) in 16 ET patients and 11 controls to measure levels of intracellular metabolites, including N-acetyl-L-aspartate (NAA) and total choline, relative to total creatine (tCR), in several brain regions (cerebellum, thalamus, basal ganglia). Multislice 1H MRSI data were acquired on a 1.

Body mass index in essential tremor.

Background: The pathogenesis of essential tremor (ET) is unknown, but it could be neurodegenerative. Weight loss has been observed in patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

Objectives: To compare body mass index (BMI) (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) in ET cases and controls and to determine whether BMI is correlated with tremor severity and duration.

Survey of essential tremor patients on their knowledge about the genetics of the disease.

A group of essential tremor (ET) patients were surveyed on their knowledge of the genetics of ET in order to provide important information to clinicians who care for and educate patients about this disease. ET patients were ascertained from neurologists at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. A 5- to 10-minute survey was administered to assess knowledge of the genetics of ET.

Is essential tremor predominantly a kinetic or a postural tremor? A clinical and electrophysiological study.

Both postural and kinetic tremors may occur in essential tremor (ET), however the relative contribution of each is not clear. ET has been variably defined with respect to kinetic and postural tremors. To examine the relative severity of postural and kinetic tremors in ET, 50 ET cases from a clinic and 55 from a community underwent a videotaped tremor examination.

Improved psychological status in a modified therapeutic community for homeless MICA men.

An adaptation of the drug-free therapeutic community (TC) model to homeless men with comorbid mental illness and chemical addiction (MICA) was evaluated with respect to change in psychological status over the course of a six-month residential treatment. Psychological status was assessed by: the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL90-R), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Shortened Manifest Anxiety Scale (SMAS), and Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS). A total of 52 out of an original study cohort of 124 residents were followed in longitudinal analyses to treatment midpoint, with a subset of 34 assessed through treatment completion.