Clinical and electromyographic examinations of patients with essential tremor

It is believed that no clinical differences exist among essential, familial and senile tremor, or between the tremor with synchronous or alternating electromyographic activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and electromyographic findings in a large group of patients with different types of essential tremor.

Two hundred and twenty patients with sporadic, familial or senile variants of essential tremor were examined. According to the electromyographic activity recorded from the antagonistic muscles, the patients were subdivided into a group with synchronous (SYN) and a group with alternating (ALT) activity. The historical aspects of the disease were noted, and a detailed neurological examination was performed.

A widespread tremor involving upper and lower limbs and 3-4 different anatomical regions was typical for familial tremor. It also had higher amplitude than the sporadic and senile tremor. ALT tremor had a higher amplitude and longer burst duration than SYN and more often involved lower limbs. Rest tremor was common in the ALT group. Overall, ALT tremor was more common than previously supposed.

The familial and ALT tremors are more disabling than other types of essential tremor. Since electromyographic ALT activity is common in essential tremor, its presence does not reliably distinguish essential and Parkinsonian tremor.