title: Increased Prevalence of Non-motor Symptoms in Essential Tremor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cases with essential tremor (ET) have been described with Lewy body inclusions, the hallmark of Parkinson disease (PD). Patients with PD may suffer from anosmia, depression, constipation, and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD), sometimes years before the appearance of their motor syndrome. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of these non-motor Parkinson's associated symptoms in patients with ET.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty ET subjects were contacted by phone and given questionnaires evaluating the presence or absence of anosmia, depression, constipation, and RBD. Frequencies of these symptoms were compared with their published prevalence in the general population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the patients with ET, 4.5% reported having anosmia or hyposmia and 21.7% reported being constipated, similar to what is observed in the general population. Using a screening questionnaire for RBD, 43.5% of ET patients are possibly suffering from RBD, whereas in the general population prevalence is estimated to be 0.5%. Finally, depression was detected in 21.7% of ET patients; in the general population, prevalence is 5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with ET seem to have more RBD and more depression than found in the general population. Prospective studies with normal control groups are needed to confirm these findings.
authors.affiliation: André-Barbeau Movement Disorders Unit Service of Neurology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal and Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lacerte
authors.affiliation: André-Barbeau Movement Disorders Unit Service of Neurology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal and Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chouinard
authors.affiliation: André-Barbeau Movement Disorders Unit Service of Neurology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal and Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jodoin
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurology, Montreal Children Hospital, McGill University, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.affiliation: André-Barbeau Movement Disorders Unit Service of Neurology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal and Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada ; CENUM, Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Guy A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rouleau
authors.affiliation: André-Barbeau Movement Disorders Unit Service of Neurology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal and Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Panisset
keywords: Essential tremor; anosmia; constipation; depression; rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder