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According to studies, people suffering from essential tremor, a movement disorder marked by involuntary shaking, are three times more likely than the general population to have dementia. The findings will be presented at the 76th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, which will be held in Denver from April 13 to 18, 2024, and online. Essential tremor is the most common tremor disorder, more prevalent than Parkinson’s disease. In addition to arm and hand tremors, people may have uncontrolled tremors of the head, jaw, and voice.
“While many people living with essential tremor experience mild tremor, in some individuals, the tremor can be quite severe,” said study author Alan D. Lewis, MD, MSc, and fellow at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Could.” American Academy of Neurology. “Not only does tremor affect a person’s ability to complete daily tasks like writing and eating, but our study shows that people with essential tremor also have an increased risk of developing dementia.”
The study included 222 people with essential tremor whose average age at the start of the study was 79 years. They took thinking and memory tests to determine whether they had normal cognitive skills, mild cognitive impairment or dementia at the beginning of the study.
The participants then had follow-up examinations every 1.5 years for an average of five years. Of this group, 168 people had normal cognitive skills at the start of the study, 35 had mild cognitive impairment and 19 had dementia. During the study, 59 developed mild cognitive impairment and 41 developed dementia.
The researchers then compared the rate at which people developed mild cognitive impairment and dementia, as well as the prevalence of these conditions, to the rate and prevalence of the general population. They also compared the participants to the rates and prevalence of people with Parkinson’s disease.
The researchers found that 19% of participants had or developed dementia during the study, and an average of 12% of people with mild cognitive impairment developed dementia each year. These rates were three times higher than the rates in the general population. However, this rate was lower than among people with Parkinson’s disease, a population in which dementia is more prevalent.
Researchers also found that 27% of participants had or developed mild cognitive impairment during the study, a rate that is almost double the 14.5% rate for the general population, but less than the 40% rate for people with Parkinson’s disease. .
Lewis said, “While most people with essential tremor will not develop dementia, our findings provide a basis for physicians to educate people with essential tremor and their families about the increased risks and any potential life changes that may occur with this diagnosis. provide.”
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