Effects of proximal and distal muscles' groups contraction and mental stress on the amplitude and frequency of physiological finger tremor. An accelerometric study.
Physiological finger tremor was assessed by two-dimensional solid accelerometry in 40 healthy normal subjects at rest (R) with the hand hanging over the armrest of a chair, in posture (P) with the arm rested on the armrest but the hand extended from the wrist, and finally adding proximal muscles contraction in extension (E) with the arm extended in front of the patient, each time with and without mental stress. The mean amplitude for physiological tremor, about 30 microns, was almost doubled by hand extension and increased by 4 to 5-fold by arm extension with further increase by mental stress in each position, which gives a good estimation of the contribution of proximal and distal muscles into the amplitude of physiological tremor. There was no significant effect of age between 20 and 60 years on tremor amplitude, but mean tremor frequency decreased significantly between 40 to 60 years. Mental stress increased amplitude but decreased tremor frequency of both across all position, possibly by increasing the synchronization of motor unit firing and by modifying the gain of the motoneurones and the stretch reflex as shown by electrophysiological studies.
Growdon
W
W
Department of Neurology, Mass. General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA.
Ghika
J
J
Henderson
J
J
van Melle
G
G
Regli
F
F
Bogousslavsky
J
J
Growdon
J H
JH
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001132:Arm / Q000294:innervation; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000294:innervation; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014202:Tremor / Q000503:physiopathology*