The “jerky dystonic unsteady hand”: A delayed motor syndrome in posterior thalamic infarctions

We report the cases of three patients with a thalamic infarct in the territory of the posterior choroidal artery involving the posterior thalamic nuclei. These patients developed delayed complex hyperkinetic motor syndromes, associating ataxia, tremor, dystonia, myoclonus and chorea, which we call the jerky dystonic unsteady hand. One patient had a severe myoclonic and ataxicdystonic choreoathetosis; another showed a so-called rubral tremor (myoclonic ataxia with resting, action, and wing-beating tremor) with dystonia; and the third one had a dystonic and ataxic hand with intermittent mild action myoclonus. All of them had sensory dysfunction; two had also presented with a painful Dejérine-Roussy syndrome. All had CT or MRI-proven infarcts in the territory of the posterior cerebral artery involving the posterior choroidal territory with an abnormal signal in the posterior area of the thalamus (pulvinar nucleus) but sparing the other thalamic, subthalamic and midbrain structures. These delayed myoclonic complex hyperkinetic syndromes have not been reported before, and we did not observe them in other topographic forms of thalamic infarcts. They may thus represent a new entity of movement disorders due to lesions in the posterior thalamic nuclei, with specificity for posterior choroidal artery infarcts.     

Paroxysmal dystonia and paroxysmal tremor in a young patient with multiple sclerosis

A 16-year-old patient with multiple sclerosis (MS) showed paroxysmal movement disorders during a recurrence of the disease. The paroxysms took the form ot brief unilateral dystonic posturings of the right body suggestive of paroxysmal dystonia (PD); they completely receded with acetazolamide. A single episode of a high amplitude, rythmic slow and coarse generalized tremor, present at rest and increasing with movement, particularly involving the head in a no-no movement, occurred soon after recovery from PD and lasted three hours. The present report provides evidence that MS has to be considered in the diagnostic approach to symptomatic childhood PD and underlines the efficacy of acetazolamide in the treatment of PD attacks. It also describes a rare paroxysmal movement disorder, defined as paroxysmal dystonic tremor, that can be considered as falling within the spectrum of PD.This study was partially supported by the Paolo Zorzi Association for Neurosciences, and the Harry De Jur Foundation.     

Classification of normal and pathological tremors using a multidimensional electromagnetic system

A new multidimensional movement analysis system was used to record limb tremor over six degrees-of-freedom, and signal processing techniques were explored to develop a suitable classification method to distinguish between different types of tremor. The specific aims were to investigate the ability of the system to screen for differences between normal subjects and a group of neurological patients, and then to differentiate between three diagnostic groups of patients.

Postural tremor at the hand was recorded in normal subjects (n=24) and patients with essential tremor (n=21), multiple sclerosis (n=17) and parkinsonism (n=19). Data were collected using a 3Space Fastrak^® (Polhemus, Inc.) over six degrees-of-freedom (three translational directions and three rotations). Spectral estimates produced measures of tremor frequency and amplitude. Mathematical models of the data, using autoregressive modelling and K-nearest neighbour classification, produced parameters used to classify, (1) the normal subjects and 24 patients (using the three rotational movements), and (2) the three patient groups (using all six movement directions). Results were given in terms of the probability of each subject belonging to the groups being classified.

Tremor frequency and amplitude showed large overlap between the groups. The screening classification produced high probabilities of correctly classifying normal subjects (>70%) and patients (>70%). The diagnostic classification produced clear differences between the patient groups (60% for essential tremor, 80% for multiple sclerosis and 60% for parkinsonism).

The ability of this assessment technique to distinguish between postural tremor in normal subjects and neurological patients suggests that it could be developed as a screening tool. Classification of tremors between the patients groups, with a high degree of sensitivity, indicates the potential for further development of the system as a diagnostic aid.     

Subthalamic neuron activity related to tremor and movement in Parkinson's disease

Single cell activity recorded in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of Parkinson's patients and the effect of tremor, passive and voluntary movement upon the same cells are described. Three types of cells were distinguished by the pattern of discharge: tonic, phasic and rhythmic. They all demonstrated high mean firing rates (65, 59 and 69 Hz, respectively). Simultaneous recordings of muscle activity and tremor helped in defining cell activity. The implantation of the definitive stimulating electrode in the patients was based on the number of STN cells related to tremor, active and passive movements (mean = 68%) along the track chosen. Cells were related to tremor (n = 21; 11%), modified the discharge with differences in the amplitude of tremor (n = 4), and changed the rate and pattern when tremor stopped spontaneously or artificially (n = 6). Movement-related cells (n = 97; 51%) showed a cyclic activity correlated with phases of the movement, or modified the firing rate along the performance of the movement. Tremor and movement-related cells (n = 11; 6%) revealed an interesting sensory-motor integrative function.     

帕金森病与颤证的差异与交融

目的:西医学所命名的"帕金森病"大致可归属于中医学"颤证"的范畴,文章旨在阐明两病的差异与交融,以期更好的指导临床实践。方法:首先,梳理颤证的相关理论,并开展颤证的中医现代辨证规律研究;其次,明确目前多数医家对帕金森病病机及证候分型的认识,并在此基础上开展帕金森病中医证候学的相关研究;最后,对比前后两项研究结果,得出结论。结果:两病的主要症状相似,但在病证所辖范围、病位及基本证型和证候要素等方面均有所不同。结论:可以参究颤证,探讨帕金森病的证候学规律,为丰富和发展中医辨治帕金森病理论,提高临床诊疗水平提供参考。     

家族性与散发性特发性震颤患者临床特征比较

目的比较家族性与散发性特发性震颤患者临床特征是否存在差异。方法临床确诊的ET患者88例,根据有无家族史,分为家族性ET和散发性ET。比较两组在性别、起病年龄、起病部位、震颤类型、震颤演变过程、最严重部位、是否对称、加重或减缓因素等方面的异同。结果家族性ET 45例和散发性ET 43例。家族性ET患者平均起病年龄早于散发性ET患者平均起病年龄[(33.48±18.87)岁vs(42.19±18.80)岁,P<0.05];两组间震颤类型及起病部位无明显差异;家族性ET患者震颤评分高于散发性者(4.34±2.22 vs 3.37±2.00,P<0.05)。家族性ET患者饮酒后震颤减轻或缓解明显高于散发性者(11/13 vs 4/10,P<0.05)。结论与散发性ET患者比较,家族性ET发病较早,进展较快,震颤较重,饮酒后震颤减轻更多。     

肢体震颤的古代针灸治疗特点分析

肢体震颤是一种针灸临床常见的病症。本症病因多与“风”有关,与肝的关系较为密切。多郁易怒、心肝火旺、阳风内动,或年老体衰、肝肾不足、水不涵木、虚风内动,皆可引发肢体震颤。此外,胆主决断,倘若胆腑虚寒,则怯弱易惊,亦可引起肢体震颤。我们在对93种中国古代医籍中有关针灸治疗肢体震颤的内容进行统计分析后的结果显示,涉及肢体震颤治疗的文献共35条,相关穴位34个,总计61个穴次。常用穴位及其取穴次数如下:曲泽(7)、足临泣(5)、中渚(4)、少海(3)、后溪(3)、太冲(3)、合谷(2)、阳溪(2)、阴市(2)、腕骨(2)、承山(2)、金门(2)、内关(2)、阳…     

Abnormalities of intrinsic brain activity in essential tremor: A meta‐analysis of resting‐state functional imaging

Neuroimaging studies using a variety of techniques have demonstrated abnormal patterns of spontaneous brain activity in patients with essential tremor (ET). However, the findings are variable and inconsistent, hindering understanding of underlying neuropathology. We conducted a meta‐analysis of whole‐brain resting‐state functional neuroimaging studies in ET compared to healthy controls (HC), using anisotropic effect‐size seed‐based d mapping, to identify the most consistent brain activity alterations and their relation to clinical features. After systematic literature search, we included 13 studies reporting 14 comparisons, describing 286 ET patients and 254 HC. Subgroup analyses were conducted considering medication status, head tremor status, and methodological factors. Brain activity in ET is altered not only in the cerebellum and cerebral motor cortex, but also in nonmotor cortical regions including prefrontal cortex and insula. Most of the results remained unchanged in subgroup analyses of patients with head tremor, medication‐naive patients, studies with statistical threshold correction, and the large subgroup of studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging. These findings not only show consistent and robust abnormalities in specific brain regions but also provide new information on the biology of patient heterogeneity, and thus help to elucidate the pathophysiology of ET.     

Fragile X‐associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) in grey zone carriers

The grey zone (GZ; 45–54 CGG repeats in the FMR1 gene) is considered a normal allele; however, several studies have found a high frequency of GZ in movement disordered populations. Here, we describe neurological features of fragile X‐associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) in two carriers of GZ alleles, although FXTAS has been defined as occurring only in premutation carriers (55–200 CGG repeats). Both patients had family members who had premutation and were diagnosed with FXTAS. The presence of relatively high GZ alleles with elevated fragile X mental retardation 1 mRNA (FMR1‐mRNA) combined with a family history of FXTAS that may represent a facilitating genetic background for FXTAS are the factors that led to the presence of FXTAS in these individuals with a GZ allele. Further research into clinical involvement of GZ alleles is recommended and the definition of FXTAS may require revision.