title: The Washington Heights-Inwood Genetic Study of Essential Tremor: methodologic issues in essential-tremor research.
abstract: Essential tremor (ET) is the most prevalent movement disorder. It is unknown to what extent ET clusters within families, and the role of genetic susceptibility in etiology of ET has not been adequately investigated at the population level. The problem is largely methodological, with few well-designed studies. The Washington Height-Inwood Genetic Study of ET, begun in 1955, is designed to investigate the genetics of ET using a methodology that has not been applied to ET research to date. Part of the design includes a new set of clinical and electrophysiological diagnostic criteria for ET; the present paper describes this novel study design.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Louis
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ottman
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pullman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fahn
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Hauser
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D009519:New York City; D012107:Research Design; D014202:Tremor / Q000235:genetics*