Related Experiment Videos
['Rubral' tremor after vascular thalamic lesions]
A Martínez Pérez-Balsa1, J F Martí-Massó, A López de Munain
1Servicio de Neurologia, Hospital Ntra. Sra. de Aránzazu, San Sebastián, España.
Revista De Neurologia
|April 9, 1998
Summary
Rubric tremor, a severe type of action tremor, can occur after thalamic lesions. This study suggests the name "rubric tremor" is inaccurate, as it can arise from lesions not involving the red nucleus or mesencephalon.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Thalamic lesions can cause tremor, though infrequently.
- Rubric tremor, characterized by high amplitude, action-evoked movements, and poor treatment response, is a rare and debilitating form.
- Its traditional name suggests a mesencephalic origin, often linked to the red nucleus.
Observation:
- This report details four cases of rubric-like tremor following ischemic or hemorrhagic thalamic lesions.
- The observed tremors exhibited classic rubric tremor characteristics.
- Literature review was conducted to contextualize these findings.
Findings:
- The physiopathology of rubric tremor is often attributed to nigrostriatal and cerebellar pathway involvement in the mesencephalic or subthalamic regions.
- Crucially, these pathways can be affected without direct red nucleus or mesencephalon damage.
- This challenges the established physiopathological model and nomenclature.
Implications:
- The findings question the suitability of the term "rubric tremor" given its potential origin outside the mesencephalon and red nucleus.
- This necessitates a re-evaluation of the diagnostic criteria and understanding of tremor syndromes following thalamic insults.
- Further research is needed to clarify the precise neuroanatomical correlates of this incapacitating tremor type.