Ss. Palmer et Jt. Hutton, POSTURAL FINGER TREMOR EXHIBITED BY PARKINSON PATIENTS AND AGE-MATCHED SUBJECTS, Movement disorders, 10(5), 1995, pp. 658-663
Physiological correlates of postural tremor of the finger seen in Park
inson's disease patients are different from those seen in age-matched
control subjects, A significant correlation between the spectral peak
of acceleration and the spectral peak of rectified electromyographic a
ctivity from the muscle responsible for finger extension was found in
Parkinson's disease patients, This correlation was not seen in age-mat
ched control subjects. Any neural drive imposed on the motoneuron pool
from supraspinal levels would enhance the electromyographic activity.
Likewise, any feedback effects via spinal stretch reflexes or suprasp
inal stretch responses would be mediated through the motoneuron pool a
nd electromyographic activity. The results of this research support th
e theory that Parkinson tremor is a centrally driven rhythm that may b
e influenced by feedback effects, whereas physiological tremor is due
to a complex interaction of central, feedback, and mechanical effects.