The Prevalence of Essential Tremor in Elderly Koreans.
10.3346/jkms.2014.29.12.1694
- Author:
Eung Seok OH
1
;
Jong Min KIM
;
Young Eun KIM
;
Ji Young YUN
;
Ji Seon KIM
;
Sang Eun KIM
;
Seok Bum LEE
;
Jung Jae LEE
;
Joon Hyuk PARK
;
Tae Hui KIM
;
Ki Woong KIM
;
Beom S JEON
Author Information
1. Department of Neurology, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- Keywords:
Essential Tremor;
Prevalence;
2-Carbomethoxy-8-(3-fluoropropyl)-3-(4-iodophenyl) tropane SPECT, Korea
- MeSH:
Age Distribution;
Aged;
Aged, 80 and over;
Essential Tremor/*diagnosis/*epidemiology;
Female;
Geriatric Assessment/*statistics & numerical data;
Humans;
Male;
Prevalence;
Republic of Korea/epidemiology;
Risk Factors;
Sex Distribution
- From:Journal of Korean Medical Science
2014;29(12):1694-1698
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most common movement disorders. The prevalence of ET varies substantially among studies. In Korea, there is no well-designed epidemiological study of the prevalence of ET. Thus, we investigated the prevalence of ET in a community in Korea. Standardized interviews and in-person neurological examinations were performed in a random sample of the elderly aged 65 yr or older. Next, movement specialists attempted to diagnose ET clinically. People who showed equivocal parkinsonian features underwent dopamine transporter imaging using [123I]-FP-CIT SPECT, to differentiate ET from parkinsonism. A total of 714 subjects participated in this population-based study. Twenty six of these subjects were diagnosed as having ET. The crude prevalence of ET was 3.64 per 100 persons. Age, gender, or education period were not different between the ET patients and the non-ET subjects. The prevalence of ET was slightly lower than those reported in previous studies. Further studies including more subjects are warranted.
