Elan D Louis1, Duarte G Machado2. 1. Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. Electronic address: elan.louis@yale.edu. 2. Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Tremor-related quality of life is a multi-dimensional concept that reflects the physical, emotional and other health effects of tremor. Curiously, tremor-related quality of life has never been directly compared in patients with the two major tremor disorders, essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson's disease (PD). We performed a head-to-head comparison of ET with PD patients. METHODS: The Quality of Life in Essential Tremor (QUEST) questionnaire was administered to 103 ET and 103 matched PD patients enrolled in a clinical-epidemiological study in New York. RESULTS: The QUEST total score and QUEST physical subscore were higher in ET than PD patients (both p < 0.05). In relative terms, ET patients reported significantly more impairment than PD patients in multiple areas; PD patients reported more impairment than ET patients in one area (all p ≤ 0.02). In absolute terms, tremor impacted on many aspects of quality of life in both diseases, including physical and psychosocial, and in one-third or more of PD patients, tremor sometimes, frequently or always interfered with numerous physical activities, including writing, using a typewriter/computer, fixing small things, dressing, eating, and holding reading material. CONCLUSIONS: Tremor is a clinical entity that can have numerous effects on patients. While there were relative differences between the two major tremor disorders, ET and PD, in absolute terms, tremor impacted on several domains of quality of life, from physical to psychosocial, in a large proportion of ET and PD patients. Attempts to judge the efficacy of treatments for tremor, whether pharmacological or surgical, should consider its broad impact.
BACKGROUND:Tremor-related quality of life is a multi-dimensional concept that reflects the physical, emotional and other health effects of tremor. Curiously, tremor-related quality of life has never been directly compared in patients with the two major tremor disorders, essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson's disease (PD). We performed a head-to-head comparison of ET with PDpatients. METHODS: The Quality of Life in Essential Tremor (QUEST) questionnaire was administered to 103 ET and 103 matched PDpatients enrolled in a clinical-epidemiological study in New York. RESULTS: The QUEST total score and QUEST physical subscore were higher in ET than PDpatients (both p < 0.05). In relative terms, ETpatients reported significantly more impairment than PDpatients in multiple areas; PDpatients reported more impairment than ETpatients in one area (all p ≤ 0.02). In absolute terms, tremor impacted on many aspects of quality of life in both diseases, including physical and psychosocial, and in one-third or more of PDpatients, tremor sometimes, frequently or always interfered with numerous physical activities, including writing, using a typewriter/computer, fixing small things, dressing, eating, and holding reading material. CONCLUSIONS:Tremor is a clinical entity that can have numerous effects on patients. While there were relative differences between the two major tremor disorders, ET and PD, in absolute terms, tremor impacted on several domains of quality of life, from physical to psychosocial, in a large proportion of ET and PDpatients. Attempts to judge the efficacy of treatments for tremor, whether pharmacological or surgical, should consider its broad impact.
Authors: Joseph M Ferrara; Christopher Kenney; Anthony L Davidson; Lina Shinawi; Abigail M Kissel; Joseph Jankovic Journal: J Neurol Sci Date: 2009-07-25 Impact factor: 3.181
Authors: Maximiliano Páez-Nova; Roberto Spiegelmann; Simon Korn-Israeli; Zion Zibly; Diego Illera-Rivera; Carmen Daza-Cordoba; Juan Carlos Alcazar-Daza; Ezequiel Garcia-Ballestas Journal: Neurosurg Rev Date: 2022-02-11 Impact factor: 3.042
Authors: Sarah Kellner; Sarah Morgan; Jesus Gutierrez; Kathleen Collins; Brittany Rohl; Fanny Migliore; Stephanie Cosentino; Edward D Huey; Elan D Louis; Joan K Monin Journal: J Neurol Sci Date: 2017-11-20 Impact factor: 3.181
Authors: Joshua K Wong; James H Cauraugh; Kwo Wei David Ho; Matthew Broderick; Adolfo Ramirez-Zamora; Leonardo Almeida; Aparna Wagle Shukla; Christina A Wilson; Rob Ma de Bie; Frances M Weaver; Nyeonju Kang; Michael S Okun Journal: Parkinsonism Relat Disord Date: 2018-08-28 Impact factor: 4.891
Authors: Johanna Junker; Brian D Berman; James Hall; Deena W Wahba; Valerie Brandt; Joel S Perlmutter; Joseph Jankovic; Irene A Malaty; Aparna Wagle Shukla; Stephen G Reich; Alberto J Espay; Kevin R Duque; Neepa Patel; Emmanuel Roze; Marie Vidailhet; H A Jinnah; Norbert Brüggemann Journal: J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry Date: 2021-02-09 Impact factor: 13.654
Authors: Ashley D Cristal; Karen P Chen; Nora Cristina Hernandez; Pam Factor-Litvak; Lorraine N Clark; Ruth Ottman; Elan D Louis Journal: Front Neurol Date: 2018-01-26 Impact factor: 4.003
Authors: Sarah Morgan; Sarah Kellner; Jesus Gutierrez; Kathleen Collins; Brittany Rohl; Fanny Migliore; Stephanie Cosentino; Edward D Huey; Elan D Louis; Joan K Monin Journal: Front Neurol Date: 2017-08-14 Impact factor: 4.003