Tremor severity and age: A cross‐sectional, population‐based study of 2,524 young and midlife normal adults

Year: 2011

Type: article

Abstract: Mild action tremor occurs in most normal people. Yet this tremor mainly has been studied within the context of advanced age rather than among the vast bulk of adults who are not elderly. Whether this tremor worsens during young and middle age is unknown. Using cross-sectional data from a large population-based study of young and midlife normal adults (age range, 18-60 years), we assessed whether increasing age is associated with more severe action tremor. Two thousand five hundred and twenty-four adults in Araihazar, Bangladesh, drew an Archimedes spiral with each hand. Tremor in spirals was rated (0-3) by a blinded neurologist, and a spiral score (range, 0-6) was assigned. Spiral score was correlated with age (r = 0.06, P = .004). With each advancing decade, the spiral score increased (P = .002) so that the spiral score in participants in the highest age group (age 60) was approximately twice that of participants in the youngest age group (age 18-19); P = .003. In the regression model that adjusted for potential confounders (sex, cigarettes, medications, asthma inhalers, and tea and betel nut use), spiral score was associated with age (P = .0045). In this cross-sectional, population-based study of more than 2500 young and midlife normal adults, there was a clear association between age and tremor severity. Although the magnitude of the correlation coefficient was modest, tremor severity was higher with each passing decade. These data suggest that age-dependent increase in tremor amplitude is not restricted to older people but occurs in all adult age groups.

Source: Movement Disorders

DOI: 10.1002/mds.23674

Authors: Elan D. Louis, Danella Hafeman, Faruque Parvez, Xinhua Liu, Roy N. Alcalay, Tariqul Islam, Alauddin Ahmed, Abu Bakar Siddique, Tazul Islam Patwary, Stephanie Melkonian, Maria Argos, Diane Levy, Habibul Ahsan

Institutions: Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Chicago

Language: English

Topic: Neurological disorders and treatments

Subfield: Neurology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

OpenAlex ID: W2149775377