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Silas Weir Mitchell's essential tremor.

Elan D Louis1

  • 1G.H. Sergievsky Center and Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA. EDL2@columbia.edu

Movement Disorders : Official Journal of the Movement Disorder Society
|May 23, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Silas Weir Mitchell experienced a familial action tremor, likely essential tremor, beginning in his 40s and worsening with age. His handwriting and family records indicate this neurological condition, though rarely mentioned in his works.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Medical History
  • Handwriting Analysis

Background:

  • Silas Weir Mitchell, a prominent American neurologist, is noted to have had a tremor.
  • This study aimed to characterize Mitchell's tremor, investigate its familial nature, and analyze his writings for references to the condition.

Discussion:

  • Handwriting analysis revealed Mitchell's tremor emerged by 1873, worsening over time to illegibility by the early 20th century.
  • Tremors were also present in handwriting samples from his mother, siblings, and maternal grandfather, suggesting a hereditary component.
  • Despite the evident tremor, Mitchell rarely alluded to it in his personal, scientific, or fictional writings.

Key Insights:

  • Silas Weir Mitchell developed a familial action tremor, diagnosed as likely essential tremor, in his early 40s.

Related Experiment Videos

  • The tremor progressed significantly with age, impacting his handwriting.
  • Evidence suggests a genetic predisposition to the tremor within his family.

    • Outlook:

    • Further research could explore the specific genetic factors contributing to essential tremor in familial cases.
    • Investigating historical figures with neurological conditions offers insights into the evolution of medical understanding.
    • Analyzing personal documents for subtle manifestations of disease can enhance historical medical biographies.