title: Reliability of a new scale for essential tremor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to determine the reliability of a new scale for the clinical assessment of essential tremor. The Essential Tremor Rating Assessment Scale contains 9 performance items that rate action tremor in the head, face, voice, limbs, and trunk from 0 to 4 in half-point intervals. Head and limb tremor ratings are defined by specific amplitude ranges in centimeters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Videos of 44 patients and 6 controls were rated by 10 specialists on 2 occasions 1-2 months apart. Inter- and intrarater reliability was assessed with a 2-way random-effects intraclass correlation, using an absolute agreement definition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Inter- and intrarater intraclass correlations for head and upper-limb tremor ranged from 0.86 to 0.96, and intraclass correlations for total score were 0.94 and 0.96. The intraclass correlations for voice, face, trunk, and leg were less robust.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This scale is an exceptionally reliable tool for the clinical assessment of essential tremor.
authors.affiliation: Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois 62794-9643, USA. relble@siumed.edu
authors.forename: Rodger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elble
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Comella
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fahn
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hallett
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jankovic
authors.forename: Jorge L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Juncos
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lewitt
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ondo
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pahwa
authors.forename: Kapil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sethi
authors.forename: Natividad
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stover
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tarsy
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tintner
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Watts
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zesiewicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D020329:Essential Tremor / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005121:Extremities / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014741:Video Recording