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Tremor-correlated cortical activity in essential tremor
B Hellwig1, S Häussler, B Schelter
1Neurologische Universitätsklinik, Freiburg, Germany.
Lancet (London, England)
|March 7, 2001
Summary
Electroencephalography (EEG) successfully detected sensorimotor cortex activity linked to essential tremor, unlike previous magnetoencephalography (MEG) studies. This suggests the sensorimotor cortex plays a role in essential tremor generation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Neurology
Background:
- Tremor-correlated activity in the sensorimotor cortex is known in parkinsonian resting tremor, studied via magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG).
- Previous MEG studies failed to detect cortical involvement in essential tremor.
- This study investigated EEG's ability to detect tremor-correlated cortical activity in essential tremor and enhanced physiological tremor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if electroencephalography (EEG) can identify tremor-correlated cortical activity in patients with essential tremor (ET) or enhanced physiological tremor (EPT).
- To compare EEG findings with previous magnetoencephalography (MEG) results in essential tremor.
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous recording of high-resolution EEG and electromyography (EMG) from wrist extensor and flexor muscles in seven ET and three EPT patients.
- Patients performed unilateral postural wrist extension to activate tremor.
- Estimation of coherences between rectified tremor EMG and EEG signals.
Main Results:
- Significant tremor-frequency coherences between EMG and EEG were found in five of nine ET arms.
- Isocoherence maps localized maximum coherences to the contralateral sensorimotor cortex.
- No consistent significant corticomuscular coherences were detected in EPT patients.
Conclusions:
- Simultaneous EEG-EMG recordings demonstrate significant corticomuscular coherences at tremor frequency in essential tremor.
- This finding contrasts with prior MEG studies, suggesting EEG is more sensitive for detecting cortical involvement in ET.
- The results indicate sensorimotor cortex involvement in essential tremor generation, similar to parkinsonian resting tremor.
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