What is the Difference Between Essential Tremor and Parkinson’s Disease?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are both movement disorders that involve involuntary muscle contractions, but they have distinct differences in their symptoms and characteristics. Here are the key differences between the two:
- Development of tremor: Tremor is the key symptom of essential tremor, while about 75% of people with Parkinson's develop tremor.
- Type of tremor: People with Parkinson's usually have tremors when they're at rest, while people with essential tremor generally have tremors during movement.
- Frequency of tremor: The movements of essential tremor generally occur at a higher frequency than Parkinsonian tremors.
- Duration of tremor: A study found that people with essential tremor reported three times as many waking hours with tremor as those with Parkinson's.
- Family history: Studies report a family history in about half of cases of essential tremor but only about 10 to 15 percent of Parkinson's cases.
- Other symptoms: Parkinson's is more likely to cause trouble with walking, movement, and coordination, while essential tremor mainly affects the hands and arms.
- Cause: The exact cause of essential tremor is unknown, while Parkinson's disease is better understood. In Parkinson's disease, neurons located in the part of the brain that controls movement become impaired or die, usually producing a chemical called dopamine, which enables regular body movements. When the neurons can't produce necessary levels of dopamine, tremors can occur, along with rigidity of limbs and decreased coordination.
It is important for healthcare professionals to recognize these differences to accurately diagnose and treat these movement disorders.
Comparative Table: Essential Tremor vs Parkinson’s Disease
| Feature | Essential Tremor (ET) | Parkinson's Disease (PD) |
|---|---|---|
| Tremor Type | Postural (occurs when holding a position) and kinetic (occurs during movement) | Rest (occurs when the body is at rest) and postural |
| Frequency | Faster than Parkinsonian tremors | Slower than essential tremor |
| Onset | Affects people of all ages but more common in middle-aged and older adults | Affects people of all ages but more common in middle-aged and older adults |
| Progression | Not progressive in most cases | Progressive and neurodegenerative, causing problems with movement |
| Other Symptoms | No other abnormal neurological signs, except for Froment's sign (a cogwheel phenomenon without rigidity) | Non-tremor symptoms such as rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability |
| Treatment | Sometimes treated with medications or surgery, but not always necessary | Medications and therapy, with treatments focusing on increasing dopamine levels in the brain |
| Prevalence | Affects about 7 million people in the United States, at least eight times more common than Parkinson's | Affects about 1% of individuals aged 65 or older, with a higher prevalence of 1.8% in individuals aged 65-74 |
Essential tremor and Parkinson's disease are both movement disorders characterized by tremors, but they have distinct differences in terms of tremor types, frequency, onset, progression, and other symptoms. ET is postural and kinetic, with a faster frequency, and is not progressive, while PD is rest and postural, with a slower frequency, and is a progressive, neurodegenerative condition with additional symptoms such as rigidity and bradykinesia.
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