Essential tremor

Essential tremor is a neurological movement disorder that causes involuntary, rhythmic shaking, usually during posture or action. It most often affects the hands and can also involve the head, voice, or other body parts.

Action tremor: A tremor that occurs during voluntary movement or while maintaining a posture against gravity. Essential tremor is defined by shaking that commonly appears during posture or action.
Tremor: An involuntary, rhythmic oscillation of a body part caused by alternating or synchronous muscle activity. Essential tremor is one specific disorder within the broader category of tremors.
Essential tremor diagnosis: The clinical assessment used to identify essential tremor and distinguish it from other causes of tremor. Diagnosis relies on the tremor pattern, history, examination, and exclusion of alternatives.
James Parkinson: An English surgeon whose 1817 essay described the condition later named Parkinson disease. Historical descriptions of shaking disorders helped distinguish rest tremor from action tremor.
Essential tremor pathophysiology: The biological processes and neural circuit changes that produce essential tremor. No single mechanism fully explains the disorder's varied symptoms and progression.
Cerebellum: A brain region that helps coordinate movement, balance, and motor learning. Cerebellar networks are implicated in the abnormal rhythmic activity associated with essential tremor.
Postural tremor: A tremor that appears while a person holds a body part in a position against gravity. Holding the arms out often reveals the characteristic hand tremor.
Primidone: An anticonvulsant medication also used to reduce essential tremor. It is a standard first-line medication, particularly when propranolol is unsuitable or ineffective.
Essential tremor classification: The clinical criteria and terminology used to classify essential tremor and related tremor syndromes. Modern classification separates essential tremor from isolated tremor symptoms and combined syndromes.
Essential tremor and Parkinson disease: The debated clinical and biological relationship between essential tremor and Parkinson disease. Some people develop features of both, but their underlying relationship remains uncertain.

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