Mechanical vibration does not systematically reduce the tremor in essential tremor patients.

ABSTRACT: Essential tremor (ET) is a major cause of disability and is not effectively managed in half of the patients. We investigated whether mechanical vibration could reduce tremor in ET by selectively recruiting afferent pathways. We used piezoelectric actuators to deliver vibratory stimuli to the hand and forearm during long trials (4 min), while we monitored the tremor using inertial sensors. We analyzed the effect of four stimulation strategies, including different constant and variable vibration frequencies, in 18 ET patients. Although there was not a clear homogeneous response to vibration across patients and strategies, in most cases (50-72%) mechanical vibration was associated with an increase in the amplitude of their tremor. In contrast, the tremor was reduced in 5-22% of the patients,

SUBMITTER: Lora-Millan JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6848159 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature