Research Article

Posturographic analysis of balance control in patients with essential tremor

  1. Marco Bove PhD1,
  2. Lucio Marinelli MD2,
  3. Laura Avanzino MD2,
  4. Roberta Marchese MD2,
  5. Giovanni Abbruzzese MD2,*

Article first published online: 13 SEP 2005

DOI: 10.1002/mds.20696

Issue

Movement Disorders

Movement Disorders

Volume 21, Issue 2, pages 192–198, February 2006

Additional Information

How to Cite

Bove, M., Marinelli, L., Avanzino, L., Marchese, R. and Abbruzzese, G. (2006), Posturographic analysis of balance control in patients with essential tremor. Mov. Disord., 21: 192–198. doi: 10.1002/mds.20696

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

  2. 2

    Department of Neurosciences, Ophthalmology and Genetics, Section of Neurology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

*Department of Neurosciences, Ophthalmology and Genetics, University of Genoa, Via De Toni 5, 16132 Genova, Italy

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 8 FEB 2006
  2. Article first published online: 13 SEP 2005
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 12 JUN 2005
  4. Manuscript Revised: 4 MAY 2005
  5. Manuscript Received: 1 FEB 2005

Funded by

  • Italian Ministero Istruzione Università e Ricerca. Grant Number: MIUR; FIRB 2001

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Keywords:

  • essential tremor;
  • balance control;
  • static posturography;
  • dual task;
  • cerebellar dysfunction

Abstract

Essential tremor (ET) is a common movement disorder causing an important functional disability. ET is generally regarded as a monosymptomatic disorder, but additional signs may be present. We analyzed postural sway in 19 patients with classic ET and in 19 sex- and age-matched normal controls (NC) to uncover possible abnormalities of balance control. Static posturography was performed with eyes open (EO) and closed during quiet stance and during performance of mental calculation or motor sequence of thumb opposition to the other fingers. No significant differences of center of foot pressure (COP) parameters were observed between patients and controls during quiet standing. Visual deprivation induced a similar worsening of postural sway in both groups. Concomitant performance of a cognitive or motor task did not affect COP area, whereas COP path was significantly modified by the cognitive task in both groups. In all EO conditions, the COP path was significantly lower in NC than in ET, but such offset was related only to the group of ET patients with head tremor. This study demonstrates that balance control is only minimally affected in ET, although patients with head involvement and longer disease duration tend to present a reduced postural stability. The “dual-task effect” is less important in ET than in Parkinson's disease patients. © 2005 Movement Disorder Society

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