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Ondansetron, a 5-HT3 antagonist, improves cerebellar tremor.

It has been previously shown that ondansetron, a 5-HT3 antagonist, can ameliorate vertigo in patients with acute brainstem disorders. A coincidental benefit was the improvement of cerebellar tremor in some patients with both vertigo and tremor. To further evaluate this effect, a placebo controlled, double blind, crossover study was conducted of a single dose of intravenous ondansetron in 20 patients with cerebellar tremor caused by multiple sclerosis, cerebellar degeneration, or drug toxicity. The principal outcome measures were the change in blind assessment of a writing task (spiral copying) and the timed completion of a nine hole peg test. Thirteen of 19 patients were deemed to have improved spiral copying after treatment with ondansetron when compared with baseline performance. One patient had a better response to the placebo compared with baseline performance (P = 0.00024). Patients completed the nine hole peg test in less time after ondansetron than after placebo (P = 0.08). Twelve patients thought that their tremor was functionally improved with the ondansetron treatment. None thought that the placebo gave improvement (P = 0.00098). The efficacy of orally administered ondansetron in tremor control is currently under study.

Cerebellar Diseases↗

A comparison of surgical approaches for the management of tremor: radiofrequency thalamotomy, gamma knife thalamotomy and thalamic stimulation.

OBJECTIVE: Between April 1994 and January 1999, 39 stereotactic procedures for patients with intractable tremor were performed at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. A retrospective analysis of results of radiosurgical thalamotomy (n = 15), MR-guided stereotactic radiofrequency thalamotomy (n = 13), and deep brain thalamic stimulation (DBS; n = 11) was performed to study relative advantages and risks of these procedures. METHODS: All options were discussed with the patients, but radiosurgery usually was performed in elderly patients with concurrent medical problems. Stereotactic thalamotomy and DBS was performed with MR guidance and macrostimulation. For radiosurgery, a median dose of 140 Gy (range 130-150 Gy) was delivered using a single 4-mm collimator. RESULTS: Of the 13 patients who underwent radiofrequency thalamotomy, 5 had immediate complete arrest of tremor, 6 had a significant reduction and 2 had partial reduction. All 11 patients who underwent DBS had excellent control of tremor immediately after the procedure, and in longer-term follow-up 10/11 maintained excellent tremor control. Of the 12 evaluable radiosurgery patients, 10 noted excellent relief and 2 had partial relief. CONCLUSION: Stereotactic procedures for tremor control are safe and effective. Each procedure has specific advantages and disadvantages that are important for patient selection.

Adolescent↗

Ipsilateral thalamic stimulation after thalamotomy for essential tremor. A case report.

We report a patient with severe essential tremor who was treated with thalamic stimulation ipsilateral to a prior thalamotomy. Thalamotomy performed 30 years prior to stimulator implantation provided tremor reduction for one year before the tremor recurred. An electrode lead was implanted in the thalmaic nucleus ventralis intermedius (Vim) with nearly complete control of his tremor with sustained benefit over an 18-month follow-up period. Vim thalamic stimulation is an effective treatment option for recurrent tremor in patients who have undergone ipsilateral thalamotomy.

Aged↗

Frequency analysis of involuntary movements during wrist tracking: a way to identify ms patients with tremor who benefit from thalamotomy.

To identify those multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with disabling tremor who will benefit most from thalamotomy, measurements of frequency spectra of involuntary movements during visually guided wrist tracking were carried out in 11 consecutive patients with MS before and after ventrolateral thalamotomy. Thalamotomy was significantly more effective if patients had disruptive action tremor which appeared as a single peak in the frequency spectra. Such patients showed an average reduction of nearly 80% in tremor magnitude after thalamotomy. In comparison, surgery produced an average reduction of only 30% in 3 other patients who had action tremor but showed multiple peaks in the frequency spectra. Frequency analysis of involuntary movements identifies those MS patients with disabling tremor who benefited most from thalamotomy.

Adult↗

Progression of Parkinson's disease following thalamic deep brain stimulation for tremor.

We assessed the long-term effect of thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) on motor symptoms and progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) in PD patients treated for resting and postural/action tremor. Thalamic DBS was performed in 17 patients with treatment-resistant resting and postural/action tremor. Nine patients were available for follow-up examination a mean of 5.5 years after surgery. Three had tremor-dominant PD. DBS produced marked improvement in resting and postural/action tremor in target upper extremity in all 9 patients, which persisted unchanged at the time of the last follow-up visit 5.5 years after surgery. PD severity with DBS 'on' and 'off' 1 year after surgery was compared to PD severity at the last follow-up visit using UPDRS (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale) III motor scores and individual motor item subscores. Patients were tested while on medication. There was no significant worsening of tremor, rigidity, speech, postural stability, gait, or axial bradykinesia with DBS either on or off at the last follow-up visit compared to the 12-month visit. UPDRS III motor scores were unchanged. However, global assessment of PD progression and increased mean L-dopa dose and L-dopa equivalent daily dose at the time of last follow-up visit indicated that a progression of PD had occurred.

Aged↗

Gamma thalamotomy for parkinsonian and other kinds of tremor.

On the basis of our experiences with selective ventralis intermedius thalamotomy with microrecording, certain cases of tremor with Parkinson's disease (PD, six cases), intentional tremor (one case) and essential tremor (one case) were treated by Gamma Knife. In all cases, 140-150 Gy were irradiated using 4-mm collimators. Three different strategies were used. (1) Gamma thalamotomy as the primary surgical treatment. (2) As a secondary treatment, irradiation of the symmetric point of the contralateral selective thalamotomy. (3) Extension of the previous thalamotomy. For the first three cases (all PD), a special plug pattern (100 plugs) was used, but was not employed for the later cases. No acute untoward effects were noted, and overall there appeared to be a reduction in tremor. The time course of tremor reduction varied from case to case, from about 5-6 months to 1 year.

Adult↗

Role of the thalamus in parkinsonian tremor: evidence from studies in patients and primate models.

The electrophysiologic basis of parkinsonian tremor is discussed in terms of the central oscillator and peripheral feedback hypotheses of tremor. Recent studies in monkeys and humans suggest that parkinsonian tremor may result from the activity of a central oscillator, possibly located in the basal ganglia. Peripheral somatosensory input seems to modulate tremor and central nervous system activity related to tremor.

Animals↗

Tremor-mediating thalamic zone studied in humans and in monkeys.

The thalamic zone mediating the rhythmic burst activity related to the contralateral tremor was studied by microelectrodes in clinical cases with tremor and in monkeys with experimental tremor. The rhythmic burst time-locked with the tremor was found in a restricted area of the ventrointermedius nucleus (Vim) in humans and also in VPLo nucleus in monkeys. In both cases, only the lateral and ventrocaudal part of each nucleus, which was defined as the kinesthetic zone, was involved. A possible tremor-mediating neural circuit is postulated.

Animals↗

Calcium channel blockers and essential tremor.

Acute effects of two calcium blockers, nifedipine and verapamil, were investigated on the tremor activity of 8 patients with essential tremor and compared with those of propranolol and placebo. Following a single oral dose of 10 mg of nifedipine, tremor intensity of the patients was increased by 71.4 +/- 22.6%. Nifedipine also enhanced physiological tremor in 6 healthy volunteers by 56.0 +/- 21.9%. This effect of nifedipine was not correlated with the increase in heart rate or decrease in systemic blood pressure. Verapamil (80 mg) did not appreciably alter the patients' tremor activity.

Adult↗

Delayed onset hand tremor caused by cerebral infarction.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hand tremor has been rarely described as a manifestation of stroke. CASE DESCRIPTIONS: Three patients developed delayed onset hand tremor due to cerebral infarctions on the contralateral side, two in the caudate nucleus and the third in the thalamus. The tremors of all three patients were similar to parkinsonian tremor, but less monotonous. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed-onset hand tremor should be considered as one of the movement disorders caused by cerebral infarction.

Aged↗

Hemibody tremor related to stroke.

BACKGROUND: Hemibody tremor is an uncommon manifestation of stroke. We describe a case investigated by both brain magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography using [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose. CASE DESCRIPTION: Three months after a pure motor stroke, a 65-year-old man developed a right arm and leg tremor. The tremor was of large amplitude, intermittent at rest; its frequency was 5 to 6 Hz. Neither rigidity nor akinesia was detected, and administration of L-dopa was ineffective. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed an ischemic lesion in the left centrum semiovale and a left caudate lacunar infarction. We suspected that the resting unilateral tremor was related to this lacunar lesion. Positron emission tomography demonstrated glucose hypermetabolism in the left sensorimotor cortex. CONCLUSIONS: This case suggests that unilateral tremor may be related to a lacunar stroke in the caudate nucleus and may be accompanied by an increased glucose metabolism in the contralateral sensorimotor cortex.

Aged↗

Intention tremor during manual aiming: a study of eye and hand movements.

Accurate goal-directed movements toward a visual target require a precise coordination of both the oculomotor and limb motor systems. Intention tremor and eye movement deficits are frequently observed in multiple sclerosis (MS). The goal of this study was to examine the characteristics of intention tremor and simultaneously produced eye movements during rapid goal-directed movements. Eye and hand movements were synchronously measured in 16 MS patients with intention tremor and 16 control subjects. Manual performances of the patient group were characterized by a delayed onset, slower execution and aiming inaccuracies. In line with the clinically defined picture of intention tremor differences between patients and control subjects were most pronounced toward the end of the movement. Dependent variables were obviously greater in MS patients compared with control subjects, and correlated well with clinical outcome measures. The application of an inertial load to the limb did not show any effect on intention tremor. In addition to impaired limb coordination, evidence has been found that eye movements, too, were abnormal in patients compared with control subjects. Moreover, eye and hand movement deficits seemed to be closely related, suggesting a common underlying command structure. Inaccurate eye movements were likely to hamper an accurate motor performance of the hand.

Adult↗

Effect of visual information on step-tracking movements in patients with intention tremor due to multiple sclerosis.

The effect of visual information on step-tracking movements was studied in 18 patients with intention tremor due to multiple sclerosis (MS) and 15 healthy controls. Parricipants performed a slow wrist step-tracking task with stationary targets under five visual feedback conditions. The display of the target and movement cues was selectively withdrawn to examine the effects of visual information on intention tremor and movement accuracy. Results showed that intention tremor was most pronounced when visual display of both target and movement cues was available. Withdrawing visual information of the limb movement reduced tremor more than withdrawing the visual display of the target cues. Both the patient and control group was less accurate when the display of limb movement was occluded. Patients, however, were more dependent on visual information of the limb movement for accurate motor performance than healthy controls. When the visual display of the limb movement was partially occluded between or near to the targets, tremor decreased without deterioration of movement accuracy.

Adult↗

Tremor in Parkinson's disease and serotonergic dysfunction: an 11C-WAY 100635 PET study.

BACKGROUND: The pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying parkinsonian tremor remain unclear. The response to dopaminergic treatment is variable and nondopaminergic mechanisms may play a role in tremor generation. Midbrain raphe 5-HT(1A) binding provides a functional measure of serotonergic system integrity. With PET, the aim of this study was to examine regional cerebral (11)C-WAY 100635 binding to 5-HT(1A) receptors in patients with PD and to correlate it with severity of tremor. METHODS: (11)C-WAY 100635 PET was performed on 23 patients with PD and eight age-matched healthy volunteers. Brain 5-HT(1A) receptor binding was computed using compartmental modeling with a cerebellar reference tissue input function. RESULTS: The authors found mean 27% reduction in the midbrain raphe 5-HT(1A) binding potential in patients with PD compared to healthy volunteers (p < 0.001). They also showed that Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale composite tremor scores, but not rigidity or bradykinesia, correlate with 5-HT(1A) binding in the raphe (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These findings support previous indirect evidence that serotonergic neurotransmission is decreased in PD in vivo. The authors hypothesize that the reduction in raphe 5-HT(1A) binding represents receptor dysfunction or loss of cell bodies due to Lewy body degeneration in PD, or both. An association between 5-HT(1A) receptor availability in the raphe and severity of parkinsonian tremor was also found.

Carbon Radioisotopes↗

Population-based case-control study of cognitive function in essential tremor.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether patients with essential tremor (ET) have cognitive deficits when compared with controls and whether the types of cognitive deficits reported previously are also found in this large sampling of patients with ET. METHODS: A total of 232 patients with ET and 696 matched controls age 65 years or older (median 75 years) living in central Spain (the Neurologic Diseases in Central Spain study) underwent a neuropsychological assessment, including tests of global cognitive performance, frontal executive function, verbal fluency, and memory. Subjects also were asked whether they had forgetfulness. RESULTS: Fifty-six patients with ET were previously undiagnosed; only 14 (6%) were taking medication for tremor. Adjusted for age, gender, education, premorbid intelligence, medications, and depressive symptoms, cases performed less well on most neuropsychological tests and especially tests of global cognitive performance (37-item Mini-Mental State Examination = 27.0 +/- 6.7 in cases vs 28.9 +/- 5.9 in controls, p < 0.001) and frontal executive function (Trail Making Test number of errors = 8.7 +/- 11.0 in cases vs 3.8 +/- 7.6 in controls, p < 0.001). Forgetfulness was reported in 117 (50.4%) patients with ET vs 300 (43.1%) controls (p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In a population-based sample of largely untreated patients with essential tremor, cases performed more poorly on formal neuropsychological testing than did their counterparts without tremor. A complaint of forgetfulness was also marginally more common in patients with essential tremor.

Age Factors↗

Effect of propranolol on essential tremor.

The investigators tested the effect of 120 mg propranolol daily on 21 patients with essential tremor using a double-blind cross-over method and electrical recording of tremor amplitude and frequency. The patients varied in age between 15 and 60 years and had a mean tremor frequency of 10 cps. Propranolol had no effect on the tremor frequency but reduced the amplutide in 15 of the patients. Propranolol was most effective in older patients and in those with slow tremor frequencies.

Adolescent↗

Tremor due to sodium valproate.

Four patients developed postural tremor after ingestion of sodium valproate. The tremor was recorded by a variable-capacitance transducer and was of the "benign essential" type. The dosages of sodium valproate varied between 1000 mg and 2000 mg daily and serum levels were between 34.9 microgram per milliliter and 154.3 microgram per milliliter. Tremor was ameliorated in two cases when the dosage was reduced. In only one case was the serum level in the toxic range for our laboratory. The pharmacology of essential tremor is unknown; production of a similar tremor by a drug could serve as a biochemical model.

Adult↗

Essential voice tremor: treatment with propranolol.

We studied chronic oral propranolol therapy and placebo in seven patients with essential voice tremor. Mean scores for voice tremor and voice quality did not differ for placebo or propranolol. Hand tremor amplitude decreased significantly with propranolol. Voice tremor seems to be more resistant to propranolol therapy than hand tremor.

Aged↗