title: Clinical and genetic study of essential tremor in the Italian population.
abstract: Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most common movement disorders. The pathogenesis is as yet unknown, although a genetic cause has long been recognised. Clinical and molecular evidence suggested that the ET gene contains a CAG expanded region. We examined a cohort of 240 Italian ET patients, classified as familial (193 cases) and sporadic (47 cases). The clinical manifestations of ET patients confirmed that the disorder is characterised by a large phenotypic variability. Repeat expansion detection (RED) approach did not demonstrate large CAG expansions. Six families were genotyped with 12 microsatellites markers of 2p and 3q regions and analysed according to parametrical methods. Lod scores values obtained in these families excluded the association of ET with 2p and 3q loci. Our findings confirm the presence of genetic heterogeneity and suggest that at least a third locus is involved in the pathogenesis of familial essential tremor.
authors.affiliation: The Italian Study Group on Essential Tremor, University of Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abbruzzese
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pigullo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Maria
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barone
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marchese
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scaglione
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Assini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lucetti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berardelli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calzetti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bellone
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ajmar
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mandich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002889:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2 / Q000235:genetics; D002893:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3 / Q000235:genetics; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D020329:Essential Tremor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers