Table 1.

Cognitive Deficits Associated with Essential Tremor³⁴

Box 1.

Classic Concept of Essential Tremor

Box 2.

Essential Tremor: New Findings

Box 3.

Cognition in Patients with Essential Tremor

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CME

Essential Tremor -- A Neurodegenerative Disorder Associated With Cognitive Defects?

Authors: Félix Bermejo-Pareja, MD, PhD
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Describe cognitive and mood abnormalities in patients with essential tremor on the basis of review findings
Describe evidence for cerebellar and other pathology in patients with essential tremor on the basis of review findings
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Félix Bermejo-Pareja, MD, PhD

Department of Neurology, University Hospital "Doce de Octubre," Madrid, Spain

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Heather Wood

Chief Editor, Nature Reviews Neurology

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Symptoms of Essential Tremor

Essential tremor is characterized by a positional and/or volitional 4-12 Hz tremor that can affect all body parts. This disorder most often affects the arms—90-95% of patients with essential tremor have tremor in the arms and hands—but can also affect the head (30% of cases), voice (20%) and legs (10-15%). The trunk is infrequently affected (5% of cases). Essential tremor often has a bilateral presentation but can also be asymmetric in nature,^[1-9,48-50] and is rarely seen at rest. The tremor is exaggerated under stressful conditions, and in 50-70% of cases can be ameliorated by consuming alcohol.^[1-6] Gait ataxia is typically observed in 50% of patients with essential tremor, and is especially prevalent in those individuals who have had the disease for a long time, or in severe cases.^[10] Essential tremor never spontaneously goes into remission; in fact, although long periods of stability are possible, the severity of this disorder always increases and affects more body parts over time. These changes in disease severity are most prominent in elderly patients.^[1-6]

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Prevalence and Incidence

CME Information

References

Table 1.

Box 1.

Box 2.

Box 3.

CME

Essential Tremor -- A Neurodegenerative Disorder Associated With Cognitive Defects?

Target Audience and Goal Statement

Disclosures

Author(s)

Félix Bermejo-Pareja, MD, PhD

Editor(s)

Heather Wood

CME Author(s)

Laurie Barclay, MD

CME Reviewer(s)

Nafeez Zawahir, MD

Sarah Fleischman

Accreditation Statements

For Physicians

Instructions for Participation and Credit

Essential Tremor -- A Neurodegenerative Disorder Associated With Cognitive Defects?: Symptoms of Essential Tremor

Symptoms of Essential Tremor

Table of Contents

Table 1.

Box 1.

Box 2.

Box 3.

References

Faculty and Disclosures

Author(s)

Félix Bermejo-Pareja, MD, PhD

Editor(s)

Heather Wood

CME Author(s)

Laurie Barclay, MD

CME Reviewer(s)

Nafeez Zawahir, MD

Sarah Fleischman

CME

Essential Tremor -- A Neurodegenerative Disorder Associated With Cognitive Defects?

Target Audience and Goal Statement

Disclosures

Author(s)

Félix Bermejo-Pareja, MD, PhD

Editor(s)

Heather Wood

CME Author(s)

Laurie Barclay, MD

CME Reviewer(s)

Nafeez Zawahir, MD

Sarah Fleischman

Accreditation Statements

For Physicians

Instructions for Participation and Credit

Essential Tremor -- A Neurodegenerative Disorder Associated With Cognitive Defects?: Symptoms of Essential Tremor

Symptoms of Essential Tremor

Table of Contents