Abstract
Essential tremor (ET) is a common neurological disorder and the most common movement disorder. Low-level occupational exposure to mercury vapor is known to be a crucial factor that increases the risk of tremor. Dental amalgam is one of the main sources of mercury in those who possess amalgam restorations. However, the relationship between ET and amalgam filling (AMF) is not quite clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between AMF and the risk of ET using a population-based administrative databank. The data for this study were sourced from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). A retrospective case-control study was conducted using this databank from 2000 to 2013. Case and control groups were matched by sex, age, urbanization level, monthly income, and Charlson comorbidity index using the propensity score method with a 1:1 ratio. In this study, 3008 cases and 3008 controls were included. The results from this nationwide population-based case-control study did not indicate any association between ET and AMF in Taiwan. Although the results were not significantly statistical, the findings may be worthy to be valued.
Highlights
Tremor is defined as an involuntary, rhythmic, and oscillatory movement of a body part [1].The most prevalent type of tremor is a bilateral action tremor of the arms, which is often diagnosed as an essential tremor (ET)
To the best of our knowledge, this study offers the first considerable understanding of the association between amalgam filling (AMF) and ET using a large-scale population-based dataset
In this case-control study, we found that AMF was not positively related to the risk of ET
Summary
Tremor is defined as an involuntary, rhythmic, and oscillatory movement of a body part [1]. The most prevalent type of tremor is a bilateral action tremor of the arms, which is often diagnosed as an essential tremor (ET). The following are the criteria for ET: isolated tremor syndrome characterized by bilateral upper limb action tremor; duration of at least three years; with or without tremor in other locations (e.g., head, voice, or lower limbs); and absence of other neurological signs, such as dystonia, ataxia, or Parkinsonism [2]. ET affects about 1% of those aged ≥60 years old [3]. Genetic and environmental risk factors may affect cerebellar and olive function, leading to cortical–cerebellar–thalamic activity abnormalities and resulting in ET [4].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
