I123‐FP‐CIT single‐photon emission tomography in patients with long‐standing mixed tremor. Issue 2 (8th October 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: de, M.; Renard, D.; Collombier, L.; Boudousq, V.; Kotzki, P. O.; Labauge, P.; Castelnovo, G.
• Is Part Of: European journal of neurology. Volume 20:Issue 2(2013:Feb.)
• Page Start: 382
• Page End: 388
• Publication Date: 2012-10-08
• Subjects: Neurology -- Periodicals; Nervous system -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2012.03875.x
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1351-5101

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en" id="ene3875-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="ene3875-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background and purpose</title> <p>Essential tremor is an abnormal movement characterized by postural and/or kinetic tremor. In some essential tremor patients, rest tremor (RT) is observed but it is not clear if this RT is a feature of essential tremor or a symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). I123‐FP‐CIT single‐photon emission tomography is used to distinguish essential tremor and PD.</p> </sec> <sec id="ene3875-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Objectives</title> <p>To analyse I123‐FP‐CIT single‐photon emission tomography in a larger series of patients with mixed tremor (i.e. action tremor associated with RT) without PD criteria.</p> </sec> <sec id="ene3875-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>We studied 33 consecutives patients (18 men and 15 women) with mixed tremor, clinically and by neuroimaging in all cases.</p> </sec> <sec id="ene3875-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>I123‐FP‐CIT single‐photon emission tomography was abnormal in 25 of our patients (75.7%) with mixed tremor, and we noted a reduced uptake mostly in the putamen. In our patients with abnormal imaging, RT was unilateral in 52%.</p> <p>In 15 of these 25 patients, putaminal reduced uptake was bilateral and symmetrical. In the other 10 patients, putaminal reduced uptake was asymmetrical or unilateral. In these 10 cases, six had a unilateral RT corresponding to (crossed) predominant reduced uptake in three cases. In our patients with normal imaging, RT was unilateral in 87.5%.</p> </sec> <sec id="ene3875-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>This study shows that mixed tremor is a heterogeneous entity. The majority of patients with mixed tremor showed nigrostriatal dysfunction on I123‐FP‐CIT single‐photon emission tomography, suggesting that mixed tremor may be a parkinsonian syndrome rather than a clinical variant of essential tremor.</p> </sec> </abstract>