Peripheral silent periods in essential tremor.

BACKGROUND

Pathophysiology of essential tremor (ET) is controversial. In the present study, peripherally induced silent period (SP) in ET patients is studied.

AIMS AND

OBJECTIVES

To study if the peripherally induced SP was different in ET patients as compared to age matched healthy controls.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

24 patients of ET diagnosed according to diagnostic criteria of Louis et al. [Neurology 50 (1998) 1351] (mean age 45.37+/-14.86 years) and an equal number of healthy controls (mean age 36.21+/-15.72 years) were recruited for the study. Peripherally induced SP was recorded according to the methods already described. Student's t-test and Wilcoxon sign rank test were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

The peripheral SP was 50.29+/-50.15 and 93.04+/-35.93 ms (p=0.0014) in ET patients and controls respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that peripheral silent period is shorter in patients of ET as compared to normal individuals.