Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026
A Fine Motor Task to Study Joint Kinematics in a Preclinical Model of Neurodegenerative Disease
Published on: June 13, 2025
Harmaline-induced tremor in mice: videotape documentation and open questions about the model
Melody M Cheng1, Guomei Tang1, Sheng-Han Kuo1
1Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, , New York, United States of America.
Background:
Harmaline-induced tremor in rodents has been extensively used as an animal model for essential tremor (ET). However, there is no visual documentation in the published literature.
Methods:
We injected mice subcutaneously with either 20 mg/kg of harmaline hydrochloride or saline and then videotaped the responses.
Results:
Action and postural tremor in the mouse began 5 minutes after subcutaneous harmaline injection and peaked at approximately 30 minutes. The tremor involved the head, trunk, tail, and four limbs and lasted for approximately 2 hours. The forelimb tremor was postural or action tremor, similar to that observed in ET.
Discussion:
This video segment provides the first visual documentation of the phenomenology of harmaline-induced tremor in a mouse. We also raise several unanswered questions regarding the use of harmaline-induced tremor to model ET.
