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Updated: Jun 2, 2026
05:54
MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy for Patients with Medically-refractory Essential Tremor
Published on: December 13, 2017
It is time to remove the 'benign' from the essential tremor label
1Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. EDL2@columbia.edu
Parkinsonism & Related Disorders
|April 14, 2011
Summary
The term "benign essential tremor" is outdated and inaccurate. Essential tremor (ET) is progressive, disabling, and linked to cognitive issues, mood disorders, and increased mortality risk.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
Background:
- Essential tremor (ET) is increasingly recognized as a complex neurological disorder.
- Historically mischaracterized as benign, ET is associated with significant comorbidities and disability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To advocate for the discontinuation of the term "benign essential tremor."
- To promote the adoption of more accurate terminology reflecting the progressive and disabling nature of ET.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent clinical-epidemiological and population-based studies on essential tremor.
- Analysis of the implications of current terminology on patient understanding and the doctor-patient relationship.
Main Results:
- Essential tremor is linked to cognitive abnormalities, psychiatric comorbidities, gait disorders, and hearing deficits.
- Studies indicate ET is progressive, disabling, and associated with an increased risk of mortality and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Conclusions:
- The term "benign essential tremor" is a mischaracterization and should be formally discontinued.
- Adopting "essential tremor" or "mild essential tremor" offers a more accurate representation of the disease's impact and progression.
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