Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
05:54
MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy for Patients with Medically-refractory Essential Tremor
Published on: December 13, 2017
Essential tremor as a neuropsychiatric disorder
1GH Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. EDL2@columbia.edu
Journal of the Neurological Sciences
|September 2, 2009
Summary
Essential tremor (ET) is more complex than just action tremor. Research shows ET often involves other motor symptoms, cognitive changes, and psychiatric issues like depression and anxiety.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Movement Disorders
Background:
- Essential tremor (ET) was traditionally viewed as a single-symptom disorder (action tremor).
- Recent research reveals ET is a complex condition with diverse motor and non-motor manifestations.
- This evolving understanding challenges the oversimplified, mono-symptomatic perspective of ET.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the expanding clinical and research understanding of essential tremor.
- To highlight the significance of non-motor features in ET.
- To emphasize the need for further research into ET's underlying mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent scientific literature and population-based studies on essential tremor.
- Analysis of documented motor and non-motor symptoms in ET patients.
- Exploration of associations between ET and cognitive/psychiatric conditions.
Main Results:
- Essential tremor frequently presents with additional motor symptoms, such as gait disturbances.
- Cognitive impairments, particularly executive dysfunction, are observed in ET.
- Associations between ET and dementia (including Alzheimer's disease) and various psychiatric conditions (anxiety, depression) are increasingly recognized.
Conclusions:
- Essential tremor is a multifaceted neurodegenerative condition, not solely defined by action tremor.
- Non-motor symptoms are integral to the ET disease spectrum.
- Further investigation into these non-motor aspects is crucial for understanding ET mechanisms and improving patient care.
Related Concept Videos
01:12Alterations in Muscle Tone ll
Alterations in muscle tone are common manifestations of neurological disorders and reflect dysfunction within different nervous system regions. Spasticity, paratonia, and dystonia represent distinct forms of hypertonia, each with unique mechanisms, clinical features, and diagnostic importance.CharacteristicsSpasticity happens from upper motor neuron lesions and is characterized by velocity-dependent resistance to passive movement. Clinical features include:Exaggerated deep tendon reflexesClonus...
01:28Disorders of the Nervous Tissue
Nervous tissue is a vital component of the human body's communication system, enabling us to perceive and respond to stimuli. However, like all other tissues, it is vulnerable to disorders and diseases that can significantly impact our neurological functioning.
Homeostatic Imbalances:
Alzheimer's disease manifests as a gradual decline in memory and cognitive abilities, attributed to the buildup of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.
Parkinson's disease arises from the...
Homeostatic Imbalances:
Alzheimer's disease manifests as a gradual decline in memory and cognitive abilities, attributed to the buildup of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.
Parkinson's disease arises from the...
01:24Parkinson Disease l: Introduction
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects movement. It is characterized by motor symptoms such as resting tremors, muscle rigidity, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), and postural instability. Patients may notice hand tremors at rest, stiffness during movement, or a shuffling gait. In addition to motor features, non-motor symptoms include sleep disturbances, mood and behavioral changes, constipation, and cognitive impairment, all of which...
01:11Alterations in Muscle Tone lll
Rigidity and myotonia are distinct abnormalities of muscle tone that affect resistance and relaxation during movement. Although both involve altered muscle contraction, they arise from different neurological and muscular mechanisms.CharacteristicsRigidity is characterized by uniform resistance to passive movement across the entire range, independent of speed, affecting flexors and extensors equally. It may appear as lead-pipe rigidity (smooth, constant resistance) or cogwheel rigidity...
01:15Parkinson's Disease: Overview
Neurodegenerative disorders are progressive diseases that cause irreversible damage and loss to neurons in specific brain areas. Examples of these disorders include Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). These disorders share characteristics such as proteinopathies, selective neuronal vulnerability, and a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. The primary therapeutic goal for these conditions is to...
01:24Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting movement, with additional non-motor features. Its pathophysiology involves complex interactions among genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and cellular dysfunction, including dopaminergic neuron loss, protein aggregation, and mitochondrial impairment.Selective NeurodegenerationA key feature is the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, leading to reduced...