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Marked reduction of tremor in essential tremor after putaminal infarct
  1. Shen-Yang Lim1,2,
  2. Yu-Yan Poon2,
  3. Robert Chen2,
  4. David Mikulis3,
  5. Andres M Lozano4,
  6. Elena Moro2
  1. 1University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  2. 2Movement Disorders Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
  3. 3Department of Radiology, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
  4. 4Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
  1. Correspondence to Dr Elena Moro, Movement Disorders Centre (McL 7-402), Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada; emoro{at}uhn.on.ca

https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.2008.171223

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    Essential tremor (ET) is the commonest movement disorder in adults. However, the precise localisation of the primary pathology is poorly understood. ET is not generally believed to be associated with significant basal ganglia dysfunction,1 although an early PET study demonstrated an association with overactivation of not only the cerebellum but also the contralateral striatum (as well as thalamus and sensorimotor cortex).2 Neurophysiological studies suggest the involvement of a central oscillator within the olivocerebellothalamocortical circuit.3 In line with this, vascular lesions of the cerebellum, pons, thalamus, corona radiata and frontal cortex have been reported to result in unilateral resolution of tremor.4 To date, the commonest target for control of tremor using stereotactic lesions or deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery is the thalamic ventral intermediate (Vim) nucleus (the cerebellar-receiving area of the thalamus).5 Our report of a case of putaminal ischaemic stroke resulting in marked improvement of contralateral ET suggests that the basal ganglia may also be important in the pathogenesis of ET.

    Case report

    The patient is a 75-year-old left-handed man who was first seen in our clinic in 1993, aged 60. Symptoms began at age 10 with right-hand tremor, but the left hand soon became involved. Many activities were affected, but writing was the most impaired. Subsequently, he developed …

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    Footnotes

    • Competing interests EM and AML have occasionally received honoraria from Medtronic for lecturing and consulting services.

    • Patient consent Obtained.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.