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Updated: Jun 8, 2026
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MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy for Patients with Medically-refractory Essential Tremor
Published on: December 13, 2017
Disappearance of essential tremor after stroke
Michel J-M Dupuis1, Frédéric L A Evrard, Philippe G Jacquerye
1Neurology Department, Pierre, Ottignies, Belgium. mi.dupuis@clinique-saint-pierre.be
Movement Disorders : Official Journal of the Movement Disorder Society
|September 14, 2010
Summary
Stroke can surprisingly improve essential tremor (ET). This study observed ET disappearance in four patients post-stroke, suggesting cerebellar circuit disruption may underlie ET.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Cerebrovascular Diseases
Background:
- Essential tremor (ET) is a common neurological disorder.
- The exact pathophysiology of ET remains incompletely understood.
- Improvement of ET following a stroke is a rare phenomenon.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report and review cases of essential tremor improvement after stroke.
- To investigate the potential role of specific brain structures in ET maintenance.
- To enhance understanding of ET's underlying physiopathology.
Main Methods:
- Case series reporting four patients with ET who experienced improvement after a stroke.
- Review of previously published similar cases.
- Cerebral imaging analysis (implied, to identify affected structures).
Main Results:
- Four patients with essential tremor experienced complete disappearance of symptoms after experiencing a stroke.
- Review of literature identified similar cases, supporting the observed phenomenon.
- The location of the stroke appeared to involve or interrupt cerebellar pathways.
Conclusions:
- Cerebral strokes, particularly those affecting cerebellar circuits, can lead to the resolution of essential tremor.
- Interruption of cerebellar loops may be a key factor in the disappearance of ET.
- Further research using neuroimaging is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms linking stroke, cerebellar function, and ET.
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