Effect of Alcohol on Physiologic and Pathologic Tremors
Alcohol
Nervous System Diseases+3
+ Neurologic Manifestations
+ Signs and Symptoms
Treatment Study
Summary
Study start date: January 1, 1999
Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.The pathophysiology and anatomical basis of most tremors remains poorly understood. One particular theory of essential tremor, the olivary hypothesis, has gained support from various studies. These studies point to the olivary nucleus as possible central rhythm generator. Cells in the olivary nucleus show spontaneous rhythmic discharges that can be suppressed by alcohol. Since alcohol is known to suppress tremor in some patients with essential tremor, one can theorize that it is through its effect on the olivary nucleus; that is, the inferior olive is the generator of the tremor. Given this assumption, we intend to study the effect of alcohol on three different kinds of tremor: the 8-12 Hz component of physiological tremor, symptomatic palatal tremor and essential palatal tremor. Our hypothesis is that the central generator of each of these types of tremor lies in the inferior olive and that the ingestion of alcohol should reduce the amplitude of the tremor, similar to the effect of alcohol seen in essential tremor.
Protocol
This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.23 patients to be enrolled
Total number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.Treatment Study
Eligibility
Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.Any sex
Biological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.Healthy volunteers allowed
If individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.Conditions
Pathology
Criteria
INCLUSION CRITERIA: A total of 20 subjects will be enrolled in the study. 10 normal subjects will be enrolled in the study. All will have an 8-12 Hz component of physiologic tremor as determined by neurophysiologic studies. Patients will have a prominent 8-12 Hz spike on accelerometry recordings that is associated with an EMG spike at the same frequency. 5 patients with essential palatal tremor and 5 patients with symptomatic palatal tremor will be included. All participants must be a minimum of 21 years of age. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: The presence of any medical condition, such as liver disease, history or family history of alcoholism, that can reasonably be expected to subject the patient to unwarranted risk or compromise the value of the data. Any patient with pathologic tremor, such as parkinsonian rest tremor, essential tremor, or tremor secondary to medications or structural brain lesions. Any clinically significant laboratory abnormalities. Lack of effective contraception. Patients who are pregnant. Inability to understand the nature of the study or its procedures. Persons under the age of 21, who are not of legal age to consume alcohol in Maryland. Patients taking any psychoactive medications including certain cough or cold medicine preparations. No one will be excluded or discriminated against based on the grounds of race, creed, gender, color, or national origin. Every attempt will be made to include women and minorities in the study population.
Study Centers
These are the hospitals, clinics, or research facilities where the trial is being conducted. You can find the location closest to you and its status.This study has 1 location
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Bethesda, United StatesOpen National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) in Google Maps