Purkinje Cell Loss in Essential Tremor: Collective Data From 215 Brains Over a 21-Year Period.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Essential tremor is a highly prevalent movement disorder. Pathological changes observed in essential tremor cerebella center around Purkinje cells and neighboring neuronal populations. Postmortem studies have variably, but not always, shown reduced Purkinje cell counts in essential tremor compared to controls. Here we present collective data on 215 essential tremor brains obtained over a 21-year period.

Methods

Purkinje cell loss was assessed through linear densities and empty basket percentages in a standard cerebellar tissue block from 215 essential tremor brains and brains from two comparison groups, 72 spinocerebellar ataxia and 165 controls (452 brains). An age-matched sub-sample comprised 195 essential tremor and 79 control brains.

Results

Essential tr

SUBMITTER: Kerridge CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12790167 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature