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Clinical features and nigrostriatal dysfunction in patients with combined postural and resting tremors.
- Source :
-
Parkinsonism & Related Disorders . Dec2013, Vol. 19 Issue 12, p1118-1122. 5p. - Publication Year :
- 2013
-
Abstract
- Background: The characteristics of clinical features and nigrostriatal dopaminergic dysfunction in patients with combined postural and resting tremors have been less clearly reported. Methods: The present study examined 43 patients with a visible persistent bilateral postural tremor and a unilateral/bilateral resting tremor involving the hands and forearms. The patients had experienced tremors for more than 3 years, with no evidence of Parkinson's disease or other parkinsonian disorders. Visual and quantitative analyses of [18F] N-(3-fluoropropyl)-2beta-carbon ethoxy-3beta-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane (FP-CIT) PET in 36 patients were performed. Seventeen age-matched normal controls were also studied. Results: On visual analysis, 28 patients (78%) showed normal [18F] FP-CIT uptake and eight (22%) showed significantly reduced uptake, suggesting nigrostriatal dopaminergic neuronal degeneration. The reduced [18F] FP-CIT uptake was significantly associated with earlier age-at-onset of tremor and asymmetric presentation of resting tremor. On quantitative analysis, there were statistically significant differences in the [18F] FP-CIT uptake ratio in the posterior putamen between patients with reduced uptake (2.37 ± 1.83) and patients with normal uptake (6.39 ± 1.35) (P < 0.001). However, posterior putamen uptake levels in patients with normal [18F] FP-CIT uptake on visual analysis were similar to those in normal controls (7.22 ± 1.29) (P = 0.291). Conclusion: The nigrostriatal dopaminergic dysfunction in patients with combined postural and resting tremors may be associated with earlier age-at-onset of tremor and asymmetric pattern of resting tremor, which might help to correctly diagnose patients with mixed tremors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 13538020
- Volume :
- 19
- Issue :
- 12
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Parkinsonism & Related Disorders
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 92718098
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parkreldis.2013.08.002