Essential Tremor— Help Is Available
Perhaps the most well-known person with essential tremor was the late actress Katharine Hepburn. But it’s estimated that about three to four million Americans live with the condition. Although essential tremor can occur in people of all ages, it’s most common in those older than age 65.
IT’S NOT PARKINSON’S DISEASE
Essential tremor may be confused with Parkinson’s disease. A tremor is common to both conditions, but essential tremor doesn’t have the more serious symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Essential tremor usually affects the hands, but it can also involve the arms, head, eyelids, and voice. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, making it difficult to eat, write, or perform other daily tasks.MEDICATIONS ARE THE FIRST STEP
The good news is that help is available. “If you are diagnosed with essential tremor, your doctor will first try to control your tremor with medication, such as beta-blockers and seizure medications,” says Patrick Tracy, MD, neurosurgeon at the Illinois Neurological Institute and interim department head of neurosurgery at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. “If the tremor doesn’t respond to treatment with medication, we can perform a surgical procedure called deep brain stimulation (DBS).”DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION
“DBS can be especially beneficial for someone whose daily functioning, such as dressing or feeding, is affected by the tremor,” says Dr. Tracy. Local residents are fortunate to have DBS available close to home at the Illinois Neurological Institute at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center.
The surgery is completed in two parts, usually about one
week apart, and involves placing a small electrode in the brain.
A movement disorder neurologist programs the device and is
able to adjust it.
“Most people experience a lessening of the tremor, but some people get total relief from the tremor,” says Dr. Tracy. “It’s a fairly safe and fairly effective procedure that allows people with essential tremor to improve their quality of life.”
“Sometimes, years after the surgery, the tremor can come back,” says Dr. Tracy. “But if that occurs, the device can be reprogrammed and frequently offers relief from the tremor again. With the previous treatment, which involved making a lesion on a part of the brain, that wasn’t possible.”
“DBS is also used to treat Parkinson’s, dystonia, and other movement disorders, and it is now being studied for use in psychological conditions such as depression and obsessive compulsive disorder,” adds Dr. Tracy.
