Non Motor Symptoms in Patients with Essential Tremor

Abstract

ssential tremor (ET) is one of the most common neurological disorders and is the most common tremor disorder. It is characterized by the presence of action tremor of the hands. Till recently our understanding of the pathophysiology of Essential Tremor (ET) has been limited, despite ET being one of the commonest movement disorders. Abnormalities in the cerebellothalamocortical loop (ie, Purkinje torpedoes) and the locus ceruleus (ie, Lewy bodies) have been implicated in the neuropathogenesis of ET. Because patients with ET are five times more likely to have first degree relatives with tremor compared to the general population, it is largely considered a genetic disorder. The genetics of ET, however, are not yet clear. In a significant number of cases, ET is hereditary and transmitted in an autosomal dominant pattern. Mutations in chromosome 2p22-25, 3q13, 6p23, and the fused in sarcoma (FUS) gene have been suggested to be the disease loci in some of these dominantly inherited families, though there are families with dominantly inherited ET without a link to these loci. There is a growing evidence to suggest that apart from motor features, patients with Essential Tremor (ET) may have