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MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy for Patients with Medically-refractory Essential Tremor
Published on: December 13, 2017
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News and controversies regarding essential tremor
E Boutin1, M Vaugoyeau1, A Eusebio1
1Service de Neurologie et Pathologie du Mouvement, Pôle de Neurosciences cliniques, CHU de La Timone, 264, rue Saint-Pierre, 13385 Marseille Cedex 05, France; CNRS-AMU, LNC UMR 7291, 3, place Victor-Hugo, 13331 Marseille, France.
Revue Neurologique
|April 12, 2015
Summary
Essential tremor, a common adult movement disorder, presents with varied symptoms and limited treatments. Current research questions its diagnosis, cause, and pathophysiology, highlighting the need for better understanding.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Movement Disorders
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Essential tremor is the most prevalent adult movement disorder, characterized by postural and kinetic tremors, often impacting daily living.
- Despite its commonality, the pathophysiology of essential tremor is poorly understood, leading to limited effective therapeutic options.
- Significant clinical heterogeneity exists, challenging the current diagnostic criteria and raising questions about its underlying nature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in the clinical presentation, etiology, and therapeutic strategies for essential tremor.
- To address the ongoing debate regarding the pathophysiological basis of essential tremor, distinguishing between degenerative and functional disorder theories.
- To provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge on essential tremor, aiding in unraveling its complex nature.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent clinical, etiological, and therapeutic studies on essential tremor.
- Analysis of current diagnostic criteria and their limitations.
- Examination of contrasting hypotheses regarding essential tremor's pathophysiology.
Main Results:
- Essential tremor exhibits diverse clinical phenotypes, complicating diagnosis and treatment.
- The etiology remains debated, with ongoing discussion on whether it is a degenerative or functional disorder.
- Current therapeutic options offer limited efficacy, underscoring the need for further research.
Conclusions:
- Essential tremor is a complex disorder with poorly understood pathophysiology and heterogeneous presentations.
- Revisiting diagnostic criteria and exploring novel therapeutic targets are crucial.
- Further research is needed to resolve the pathophysiological controversy and improve patient outcomes.
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