title: Heart rate variability in patients with essential tremor: A cross sectional study.
abstract: To investigate heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with Essential Tremor (ET) in comparison with patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD).
  
  
  
  This is a cross sectional control study including 10 patients with ET, 10 patients with PD and 10 age-sex-matched controls. In patients and controls, we measured the components of HRV analysis in the frequency domain during a daytime period of 12-h. Selected HRV variables were low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF), conventionally considered to be influenced by the sympathetic system and the parasympathetic system respectively.
  
  
  
  HRV variables, in patients with ET, were significantly different from those detected in PD patients and similar to those of controls while in PD patients, they were significantly different from those of controls. At cut off level of 654 ms2, LF component correctly distinguished ET patients versus PD with sensitivity, specificity, PPV and accuracy of 100%. By contrast, at cut off level of 737 ms2, HF component showed sensitivity, specificity, PPV and accuracy of 80%, 100%, 100%, and 86.67% respectively. DAT-SPECT and cardiac MIBG uptake were both normal in ET patients whereas they were markedly decreased in those with PD.
  
  
  
  In our study, the LF component of HRV analysis distinguishes ET patients from those with PD on an individual basis, thus representing a valid help in everyday clinical practice for differentiation between these patients in absence of scintigraphic investigations.
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Germaneto, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salsone
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Germaneto, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nistico'
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Germaneto, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Basilio
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vescio
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Germaneto, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Novellino
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Department of Medical Sciences, University Magna Graecia, Germaneto, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Department of Medical Sciences, University Magna Graecia, Germaneto, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lupo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Department of Medical Sciences, University Magna Graecia, Germaneto, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Gennarina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arabia
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Germaneto, Catanzaro, Italy; Institute of Neurology, Department of Medical Sciences, University Magna Graecia, Germaneto, Catanzaro, Italy. Electronic address: quattrone@unicz.it.
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quattrone
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography; D020329:Essential Tremor / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
keywords: Essential tremor; Heart rate variability; Parkinson's disease