ASSESSING TREMOR SEVERITY

A clinical rating scale which measured the severity of tremor in 20 pa tients (12 with essential tremor and 8 with ''dystonic'' tremor) was a ssessed at specific anatomical sites for both inter and intra-rater re liability using four raters. The scores obtained with the scale were c ompared with the results of upper limb accelerometry, an activity of d aily living self-questionnaire and estimates of the tremor induced imp airment in writing and drawing specimens. The results show that, for t he purposes of routine assessment and therapeutic trials, a clinical r ating scale can produce reliable results which are a more valid index of tremor induced disability than standard postural accelerometry.