Clinical and electromyographic examinations of Parkinsonian tremor

Background: The clinical presentations of postural Parkinsonian tremor are variable and different types of tremors have been described. The aim of this study was to re-evaluate the clinical and electromyographic (EMG) pattern of different tremors in Parkinsonian patients.Methods: One hundred and ten patients with Parkinsonian tremor were included in the study. Patients were subdivided into four groups according to the presence or absence of postural tremor, in addition to a resting tremor and its EMG pattern. The first group consisted of patients without postural tremor. The second group consisted of patients with fast postural tremor (>7Hz). The third group consisted of patients with slow postural tremor with alternating EMG activity. Patients with slow postural tremor with synchronous EMG activity were included in the fourth group. In each limb position, the tremor of the most involved body part was graded on the Webster Tremor Scale. Surface EMG recordings of the most involved limb in all positions were performed.Results: Postural tremor in addition to the rest one was found in 84% of the patients. The postural tremor was with lower amplitude than the rest one. The frequencies and EMG patterns of the postural tremors were different and correlated with some specific clinical symptoms. Patients with alternating postural tremor had a kinetic and intention tremor in addition.Conclusions: Four different subtypes of Parkinsonian tremor were found according to the presence and type of postural tremor. These subtypes had some differing clinical characteristics and probably different relationships to essential tremor.