Emergence of Parkinson's disease in essential tremor : a study of the clinical correlates in 53 patients

Articles:

Title:: Emergence of Parkinson's disease in essential tremor : a study of the clinical correlates in 53 patients
Author(s):: Minen, Mia T.
Louis, Elan D.
Date:: 2008
Type:: Articles
Department:: Center for Parkinson's Disease and Other Movement Disorders
Volume:: 23
Permanent URL:: http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:9908
Book/Journal Title:: Movement disorders
Abstract:: Patients with essential tremor (ET) may develop Parkinson's disease (PD); however, few studies have examined the clinical features of this combination syndrome. Fifty-three patients with ET-PD were studied and compared to 53 PD and 150 ET patients. Although the latency from onset of ET to PD was brief (< 5 years) in 38.5%, in a sizable proportion (30.8%), it was very long (> 20 years). The gender distribution of ET-PD (67.9% male) was identical to that of PD (67.9% male), yet differed from that of ET (50.0% male) (P = 0.02). The initial cardinal sign of PD was rest tremor in 100% of patients. In ET-PD, the side of greatest initial ET severity usually matched that of greatest PD severity (P < 0.05). In ET-PD, male gender predominated and the sidedness of the ET and PD usually matched. The co-occurrence of the two diagnoses in the same patient may be mechanistically related.
Subject(s):: Neurosciences
DOI:: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mds.22161