Abstract
<strong>Background:</strong> Patients with essential tremor (ET) who develop Parkinson’s disease (PD) (i.e., ET→PD) may differ with respect to motor features (MFs) and nonmotor features (NMFs) from patients with isolated ET. Few studies have assessed this issue. <strong>Methods:</strong> In this retrospective chart review, we analyzed data on MFs and NMFs of 175 patients, including 54 ET→PD and 121 ET, actively followed in the Athens University 1st Neurology Department. <strong>Results:</strong> Significantly more ET→PD than ET patients reported asymmetric tremor at ET onset (68.5% vs. 14.9%, p<0.001). Significantly more ET than ET→PD patients had head tremor (43.5% vs. 13.2%, p<0.001) and cerebellar signs (41.3% vs. 9.3%, p<0.001). More ET than ET→PD patients reported hearing impairment (65.3% vs. 28.3%, p<0.001) and restless legs syndrome (34.8% vs. 3.7%, p<0.001). Conversely, a larger proportion of ET→PD than ET patients reported rapid eye movement behavior disorder (51.9% vs. 10.0%, p<0.001), constipation (67.9% vs. 36.4%, p<0.001), and olfactory dysfunction (83.3% vs. 36.4%, p<0.001). <strong>Discussion:</strong> The subset of ET→PD patients may have distinct MFs and NMFs that should be assessed further for the possible predictive value for the emergence of PD.
Highlights
A subset of patients with essential tremor (ET) will eventually develop Parkinson’s disease (PD) (i.e., ‘‘ETRPD’’).[1]
Given the fact that ET is no longer considered a monosymptomatic condition but, instead, a polysymptomatic disorder with both motor and non-motor elements,[5,6] we aimed to examine whether the ETRPD patients are distinct in terms of both MFs as well as nonmotor features (NMFs)
A notable subset of ET patients will eventually develop PD,[1,8,9,10] raising the issue of whether there is a distinct clinical ET phenotype that is associated with the eventual co-occurrence of the two disorders
Summary
A subset of patients with essential tremor (ET) will eventually develop Parkinson’s disease (PD) (i.e., ‘‘ETRPD’’).[1]. We assessed the differences between ET and ETRPD in terms of signs at presentation. Characterization of these differences could provide clinical–prognostic indicators for subsequent PD development in ET patients and contribute to an improved understanding of the pathogenesis of these two disorders. Patients with essential tremor (ET) who develop Parkinson’s disease (PD) (i.e., ETRPD) may differ with respect to motor features (MFs) and nonmotor features (NMFs) from patients with isolated ET. Results: Significantly more ETRPD than ET patients reported asymmetric tremor at ET onset (68.5% vs 14.9%, p,0.001).
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