Genetical components of physiological tremor

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Human Physiology
• Genetics

Background:

• Physiological tremor is a common finding in humans.
• Understanding the underlying mechanisms of tremor is crucial for diagnosing neurological disorders.
• Twin studies are valuable for dissecting genetic and environmental influences on physiological traits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the genetic contribution to physiological tremor.
• To determine if specific frequency components of tremor are influenced by genetics.
• To compare genetic influences on tremor across different frequency bands.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins, and age/sex-matched control subjects.
• Measurement of postural finger tremor using a sub-miniature accelerometer.
• Analysis of tremor signals using power spectral analysis to assess frequency components.

Main Results:

• Significant genetic influences were identified for the proportion of tremor specifically within the 9-10 Hz frequency range.
• No significant genetic effects were observed for tremor at other frequencies.
• The absolute amount of tremor did not show significant genetic influence.

Conclusions:

• Physiological tremor between 8 and 13 Hz is demonstrably genetically influenced.
• Tremor within the 8-13 Hz range is likely governed by different physiological mechanisms than tremor at other frequencies.
• These findings highlight a specific genetic component in a particular frequency band of human physiological tremor.