Related Experiment Videos
Nonparkinsonism movement disorders in the elderly
1School of Pharmacy, Loma Linda University, California 92350, USA. jjchen@llu.edu
Summary
This review covers essential tremor and tardive dyskinesia treatments. While some medications help essential tremor, effective options for tardive dyskinesia are limited, necessitating further research.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Essential tremor (ET) and tardive dyskinesia (TD) are distinct neurological movement disorders.
- ET typically presents as action or postural tremor, often affecting the upper extremities, head, or voice.
- TD is characterized by involuntary choreoathetoid movements, primarily in the orofacial region.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the clinical presentation of ET and TD.
- To summarize the current pharmacologic management strategies for ET and TD.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts.
- Search terms included "essential tremor" and "tardive dyskinesia".
- Articles published in English from 1966 to August 2005 were reviewed.
Main Results:
- Propranolol and primidone are primary treatments for ET, with gabapentin and topiramate also showing efficacy.
- Botulinum toxin is effective for head and voice tremors; surgery is an option but has contraindications.
- TD management focuses on prevention and early recognition; switching to atypical antipsychotics may help if neuroleptics are causative. Few consistently useful treatments exist for TD.
Conclusions:
- Pharmacologic agents offer partial symptom relief for essential tremor.
- Symptomatic treatments for tardive dyskinesia are limited, highlighting the need for additional research and development.