Research overview
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BackgroundThere is a significant need for a targeted therapy for essential tremor (ET), as medications have not been developed specifically for ET, and the ones prescribed are often not well-tolerated, so that many patients remain untreated. Recent work has shown that, unlike previous experience, kinematically guided individualized botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) injections provide benefit along with minimal weakness. Ours is the first long-term (96-week) safety and efficacy study of BoNT-A as monotherapy for ET using kinematically driven injection parameters.MethodsTen ET patients were administered six serial BoNT-A treatments every 16 weeks and were assessed at 6 weeks following treatment. During each study visit, the Fahn-Tolosa-Marin (FTM) scale, the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, and the Quality of Life for Essential Tremor Questionnaire (QUEST) were administered along with kinematic assessment of the treated limb. Participants performed scripted tasks with motion sensors placed over each arm joint. Dosing patterns were determined using the movement disorder neurologist's interpretation of muscles contributing to the kinematically analyzed upper limb tremor biomechanics.ResultsThere was a 33.8% (pConclusionsIndividualized BoNT-A dosing patterns to each individual's tremor biomechanics provided an effective monotherapy for ET as function improved without functionally limiting muscle weakness.
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