Skip to main content
Log in

Synchrony of rest tremor in multiple limbs in Parkinson's disease: evidence for multiple oscillators

  • Published:
Journal of Neural Transmission Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary.

Recent evidence points to involvement of central nervous system oscillators in Parkinson's disease (PD) rest tremor. It remains unknown whether one or multiple oscillators cause tremor in multiple limbs. Based on the prediction that multiple oscillators would cause low coherence even with similar average frequency, we studied 22 PD patients using accelerometers on multiple limbs. Records were digitized and spectral analysis was performed. Peak frequencies in the arms, legs, and chin were similar, indicating that biomechanical factors did not determine the frequency. Coherence between different axes of individual accelerometers and between different segments of the same limb was high. However, coherence between tremor in different limbs was low. There was no consistent pattern across patients of ipsi- vs. contralateral predominance of coherence. These data suggest that tremor in PD is generated by multiple oscillatory circuits, which operate on similar frequencies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Accepted September 7, 2000

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ben-Pazi, H., Bergman, H., Goldberg, J. et al. Synchrony of rest tremor in multiple limbs in Parkinson's disease: evidence for multiple oscillators. J Neural Transm 108, 287–296 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s007020170074

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s007020170074

Navigation