Essential tremor is a nervous system disorder that causes uncontrollable shakes to the head, neck, trunk, arms, legs, voice, and other parts of the body. Did you know — Essential tremor is actually four times more common than Parkinson’s disease? Although this is the case, media coverage and news articles on Essential tremor are few and far between. Below, we have summarized three informative articles where Essential tremor has been mentioned in the recent news. To learn more about any of the topics we covered, simply click the underlined subtitle.
Research Confirms Patients with Essential Tremor and Parkinson’s Disease Have Higher Co-morbidities and Costs
A study titled “Co-Morbidities and Mechanistic Similarities of Essential tremor and Parkinson’s Disease and Resulting Diagnostic Challenges” has confirmed that there are multiple co-morbidities associated with a Parkinson’s disease (PD) or Essential tremor (ET) diagnosis. A co-morbidity can be described as the presence of one or more additional conditions occurring alongside a primary condition. The results of this study showed that patients age 65+ who were previously diagnosed with ET or PD also had a higher prevalence of the following disorders or complications: accidents, bradykinesia, depression, fatigue, and sleep disorders. As a result, many PD and ET patients find themselves taking a number of medications in order to ease the symptoms associated with their primary diagnosis, as well as their co-morbidities. Interested in learning more? Click here to read the full article.
Smaller, lighter 'smart' glove designed to stabilize a wider range of hand tremors
A Canadian company, Steadiwear Inc. has developed a tremor stabilizing glove — Steads-Two —for people with PD and ET. Many people with hand tremors face challenges related to eating, drinking, dressing, writing, and performing other daily living activities. The Steads-Two is a battery-free, machine washable glove that is easy to use and weighs just under 1lb. The glove can be worn on either hand, with minimal adjustments needed. In lab tests, the Steadi-Two provided users with up to 80% of tremor relief. John Kirkconnell, one of Steadiwear’s early adopters, tested out the Steadi-Two for two weeks and exclaimed, “it’s a real life-changer.” Looking to read the full article? Click here.
If you would like to learn more about the Steadi-Two, or place an order today, click here.
Boston Scientific wins FDA registered for imaged-guided software for DBS therapy
In collaboration with Brainlab AG, The Malborough — a company based in Massachusetts — has designed its latest image-guided programming software. The system allows clinicians to visualize lead placement and simulation modeling of the brain anatomy of patients with PD or ET in real-time. The software is called StimView XT, and it is integrated visualization software for DBS programming. This will be helpful in providing 3D visualizations so that clinicians can provide more personalized therapies for people with PD and ET. If you would like to read more about this software and its implications for PD and ET patients, click here!
