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Biobehavioral Intervention
for Essential Tremor Essential tremor (ET), the most prevalent neurologic movement disorder, affects the hands and head; however, tremor of the lower limbs may also occur over time. Based on current epidemiologic data from the United States, approximately 13.5 million Americans are afflicted by ET. Approximately 4 million (29%) develop the disorder before the age of 30. Another 3.24 million (24%) will develop ET after age 50. Hispanic and African-American individuals are at a relatively greater risk of developing ET than other ethnic groups. Tremor results in significant motor and psychosocial disability. It is also known that stress exacerbates tremor severity. Positive response rates to pharmacotherapy are weak (40%) and predictors of successful treatment are unknown. Given the relation between environmental stressors and tremor, development of biobehavioral interventions are logical alternatives to current treatment. Results of 12 biobehavioral intervention studies for ET will be discussed in relation to participant selection, treatment outcome, experimental design, reliability and validity of measures, and maintenance of treatment gains. Keywords: essential tremor, geriatric, behavioral assessment, behavioral medicine, relaxation training |
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