Static Tremor in Anxiety States

Finger tremor in alcoholic patients.

“…As has already been noted, Graham (1945) and Redfearn (1957) found that non-alcoholic emotionally disturbed patients had a significantly larger mean tremor amplitude than normal controls. From the results of the present experiment it is impossible to ascertain the relative magnitudes of the parts played by the two factors, the history of emotional illness and the alcoholism, in the production of the exceptionally large mean tremor amplitude displayed by the alcoholics who had had an emotional disturbance, In order to elucidate this matter, it would be necessary to carry out a similar series of observations on a matched group of non-alcoholic patients with a DO.…”

“…In view of these reports, the objects of the present investigation were as follows: first, to compare the tremor amplitude observed in a group of alcoholic patients with that occurring in a series of normal control subjects, using aprecise technique ofmeasurement; secondly, to determine, by means of frequency analysis, whether there was any difference in the relative amplitudes of tremor components at different frequencies in alcoholic patients as compared with normal subjects; and thirdly, since it has been shown by Graham (1945) and by Redfearn (1957) that neurotic or anxious patients display a larger tremor amplitude than normal controls, it seemed important to determine the extent to which the psychiatric history as well as the presence or absence of organic illness should be taken into account in interpreting the results of a study on tremor in alcoholic patients.…”

Effect of the beta adrenergic blocking agent propranolol on essential tremor

“…In view of the fact that propranolol alleviates the accentuation of tremor of Parkinsonism due to adrenaline, and that it is also of value in the tremor of thyrotoxic and anxious patients, when tremor is apparently an exaggeration of a physiological phenomenon (Graham, 1945;Redfearn, 1957;Marsden et al, 1968), a trial of this drug in the treatment of essential tremor was undertaken. METHODS Ten patients with an essential tremor were investigated, of whom six were male and four female.…”

The effect of theophylline on thyrotoxic tremor.

“…The tremor which occurs in patients with hyperthyroidism can now be accurately quantitated and has a similar frequency to physiological tremor but with a considerably greater tremor power (Graham, 1945;Lippold et al, 1959;Marsden et al, 1968;Abila et al, 1985) which is ameliorated by P-adrenoceptor blocking agents (McDevitt & Nelson, 1978). The mechanisms of production of thyrotoxic tremor is not clear.…”