Tremor retrainment as therapeutic strategy in psychogenic (functional) tremor.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Entrainment, the change or elimination of tremor as patients perform a voluntary rhythmical movement by the unaffected limb, is a key diagnostic hallmark of psychogenic tremor.

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility of using entrainment as a bedside therapeutic strategy ('retrainment') in patients with psychogenic tremor.

Methods

Ten patients with psychogenic tremor (5 women, mean age, 53.6 ± 12.8 years; mean disease duration 4.3 ± 2.7 years) were asked to participate in a pilot proof-of-concept study aimed at "retraining" their tremor frequency. Retrainment was facilitated by tactile and auditory external cueing and real-time visual feedback on a computer screen. The primary outcome measure was the Tremor subscale of the Rating Scale for Psychogenic Movemen

SUBMITTER: Espay AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4028378 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature