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Essential Tremor: Diagnosis and Treatment
Author(s) -
Chen Jack J.,
Swope David M.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
pharmacotherapy: the journal of human pharmacology and drug therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.227
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1875-9114
pISSN - 0277-0008
DOI - 10.1592/phco.23.10.1105.32750
Subject(s) - essential tremor , thalamotomy , primidone , medicine , pharmacotherapy , deep brain stimulation , movement disorders , gabapentin , botulinum toxin , physical medicine and rehabilitation , psychological intervention , physical therapy , anesthesia , psychiatry , epilepsy , disease , anticonvulsant , alternative medicine , pathology , parkinson's disease
Essential tremor is a common movement disorder in adults that interferes with the performance of functional and social activities. Differentiation of essential tremor from other tremor syndromes is important in order to provide appropriate patient education and therapy. The mainstays of pharmaco‐therapy are propranolol and primidone; however, in selected patients, agents such as alcohol, benzodiazepines, botulinum toxin, and gabapentin may provide symptomatic benefits. Advances in surgical interventions, such as stereotactic thalamotomy and thalamic deep brain stimulation, offer patients an alternative treatment modality when pharmacotherapy is inadequate. A treatment algorithm is provided to guide clinicians in the management of patients with essential tremor.