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Updated: May 17, 2026
05:54
MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy for Patients with Medically-refractory Essential Tremor
Published on: December 13, 2017
Essential tremor is not a neurodegenerative disease
Ali H Rajput1, Charles H Adler, Holly A Shill
1Movement Disorders Program, Neurology Division, University of Saskatchewan/Saskatoon Health Region, 103 Hospital Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0W8, Canada.
Neurodegenerative Disease Management
|October 30, 2012
Summary
Essential tremor (ET) pathophysiology is unclear. While some studies suggest neurodegeneration, evidence for Lewy body inclusions or Purkinje cell loss as the cause of ET is not supported by current research.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Pathology
Background:
- The underlying causes of essential tremor (ET) are not well understood.
- Previous neuropathological studies have yielded inconsistent findings regarding ET's neurodegenerative basis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and critically evaluate the evidence for neurodegeneration in essential tremor.
- To determine if Lewy body inclusions or Purkinje cell loss are the primary neuropathological features of ET.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing neuropathological studies on essential tremor.
- Comparison of findings in ET cases with control groups and other neurodegenerative diseases.
- Analysis of reported prevalence of Lewy body inclusions and Purkinje cell counts in ET.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of Lewy body inclusions in ET brains is comparable to the asymptomatic general population.
- No evidence supports reduced striatal tyrosine hydroxylase levels in ET patients, unlike in Parkinson's disease.
- Studies on Purkinje cell loss in ET have produced conflicting results, with most ET cases showing normal cell counts for age.
Conclusions:
- Lower brainstem Lewy body inclusions and cerebellar Purkinje cell loss do not appear to be the primary neurodegenerative cause of essential tremor.
- Further research is required to elucidate the pathophysiology of essential tremor.
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