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Isolated head tremor: A DAT-SPECT and somatosensory temporal discrimination study
Gina Ferrazzano1, Viviana Frantellizzi2, Maria Ilenia De Bartolo3
1Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Dell'Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Parkinsonism & Related Disorders
|October 15, 2020
Summary
Patients with isolated head tremor show normal dopamine transporter levels but impaired sensory processing. These findings suggest head tremor may be a form of dystonia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Movement Disorders
Background:
- Isolated head tremor is a movement disorder with unclear pathophysiology.
- Dopaminergic system integrity and sensory processing are implicated in tremor disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate dopaminergic neurotransmission using 123I-FP-CIT (DAT-SPECT) and somatosensory temporal discrimination threshold (STDT) in patients with isolated head tremor.
- To explore correlations between these measures and clinical features.
Main Methods:
- 14 patients with isolated head tremor underwent clinical examination, STDT testing, and DAT-SPECT.
- Comparison with healthy subjects for STDT values.
Main Results:
- DAT-SPECT revealed normal radiotracer uptake in the striata, indicating intact dopaminergic neurotransmission.
- Patients exhibited significantly higher STDT values compared to healthy controls.
- No significant correlations were found between STDT, DAT-SPECT binding, and clinical/demographic data.
Conclusions:
- Normal dopaminergic function in isolated head tremor suggests it is not primarily a nigrostriatal dopaminergic deficit.
- Elevated STDT points to sensory processing abnormalities.
- Findings support classifying isolated head tremor as a form of dystonia.
