ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with therapy of hyperkinetic movement disorders. An extensive review of the treatment of movement disorders was published a few years ago (see Table 33.1).1
Tremor may be defined as a rhythmic, mechanical oscillation of any functional body region. Although any movement is accompanied by a normal physiological tremor, we are usually concerned with pathological tremors (like the kinetic tremors) that affect the activities of daily living or produce an esthetic problem (like the rest tremor of Parkinson’s disease).2,3
Resting tremor occurs in a body part that is not voluntarily activated and that is completely supported against gravity. Usually it occurs in a relaxed limb, and is one of the major symptoms observed in Parkinson’s disease. Action tremor is any tremor occurring during a voluntary contraction of muscle. This includes postural, isometric and
kinetic tremor. Kinetic tremor includes intention tremor. Postural tremor occurs while a subject voluntarily maintains a position against gravity. This type of tremor sometimes occurs also in Parkinson’s disease, but has usually been described in essential or familial tremor and in upper midbrain or thalamic lesions. Variants of this type of tremor have been described and are usually position-specific or position-sensitive.
