Tremor Glossary of Terms

Aging: The process of becoming older, a process that is genetically determined and environmentally modulated.
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Blood: The familiar red fluid in the body that contains white and red blood cells, platelets, proteins, and other elements. The blood is transported throughout the body by the circulatory system. Blood functions in two directions: arterial and venous. Arterial blood is the means by which oxygen and nutrients are transported to tissues while venous blood is the means by which carbon dioxide and metabolic by-products are transported to the lungs and kidneys, respectively, for removal from the body.

Cerebellar: Pertaining to the cerebellum, the part of the brain in the back of the head between the cerebrum and the brain stem. The cerebellum controls balance for walking and standing and other complex motor functions.

Condition: The term "condition" has a number of biomedical meanings including the following:

1. An unhealthy state, such as in "this is a progressive condition."
2. A state of fitness, such as "getting into condition."
3. Something that is essential to the occurrence of something else; essentially a "precondition."
4. As a verb: to cause a change in something so that a response that was previously associated with a certain stimulus becomes associated with another stimulus; to condition a person, as in behavioral conditioning.

Contraction: The tightening and shortening of a muscle.

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease ; the identification of an illness. 2 A conclusion or decision reached by diagnosis. The diagnosis is rabies . 3 The identification of any problem. The diagnosis was a plugged IV.
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Disease: Illness or sickness often characterized by typical patient problems (symptoms) and physical findings (signs). Disruption sequence: The events that occur when a fetus that is developing normally is subjected to a destructive agent such as the rubella (German measles) virus.

Essential: 1. Something that cannot be done without.
2. Required in the diet, because the body cannot make it. As in an essential amino acid or an essential fatty acid.
3. Idiopathic. As in essential hypertension. "Essential" is a hallowed term meaning "We don't know the cause."

Essential tremor: Uncontrollable shaking ( tremor ) of the hands and head and sometimes other parts of the body. Essential tremor is the most common of all movement disorders and is estimated to affect 3 to 4 million people in the US. In more than half of cases, essential tremor is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. In 1997, the ETM1 gene (also called FET1) was mapped to chromosome 3 in a study of Icelandic families while another gene, called ETM2 , was mapped to chromosome 2 in a large American family of Czech descent. That two genes for essential tremor have been found on two different chromosomes demonstrates that mutations in various genes may lead to essential tremor. The mainstays of treatment are drugs such as propranolol and primidone.
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Health: As officially defined by the World Health Organization, a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Hormone: A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activity of certain cells or organs.
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Intervention: The act of intervening, interfering or interceding with the intent of modifying the outcome. In medicine, an intervention is usually undertaken to help treat or cure a condition. For example, early intervention may help children with autism to speak. "Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention is widely practiced in the United States," according to the National Institutes of Health. From the Latin intervenire, to come between.

Involuntary: Done other than in accordance with the conscious will of the individual. The opposite of voluntary.
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Kinetic: With movement. The opposite of kinetic is akinetic. It means without movement. In neurology, kinetic and akinetic denote the presence or absence of movement. Kinetic comes from the Greek word "kinesis" for motion. The term "akinetic" is put together from the prefix "a-" meaning "without" + "kinesis" = without motion. "Kinetic" (an adjective) should be distinguished from "kinetics" (a noun). Kinetics (with an "s" at the end) refers to the rate of change in a biochemical (or other) reaction, the study of reaction rates.

Limb: The arm or leg.

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. There are three types of muscle in the body. Muscle which is responsible for moving extremities and external areas of the body is called "skeletal muscle." Heart muscle is called "cardiac muscle." Muscle that is in the walls of arteries and bowel is called "smooth muscle."

Muscular: Having to do with the muscles. Also, endowed with above average muscle development. Muscular system refers to all of the muscles of the body collectively.

Neurological: Having to do with the nerves or the nervous system.

Neuropathy: Any and all disease or malfunction of the nerves.

NIH: The National Institutes of Health. The NIH is an important U.S. health agency. It is devoted to medical research. Administratively under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the NIH consists of 20-some separate Institutes and Centers. NIH's program activities are represented by these Institutes and Centers.
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Parkinson's disease: See: Parkinson disease.

Peripheral: Situated away from the center, as opposed to centrally located.
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Peripheral neuropathy : A problem with the functioning of the nerves outside the spinal cord. Symptoms may include numbness, weakness, burning pain (especially at night), and loss of reflexes.
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Postural: Pertaining to the posture or position of the body, the attitude or carriage of the body as a whole, or the position of the limbs (the arms and legs). Postural hypotension is a drop in blood pressure ( hypotension ) due to a change in body position (a change in posture). It occurs when a person, often an older person, moves to a more vertical position: from sitting to standing or from lying down to sitting or standing. The change in posture causes a temporary reduction in blood flow and therefore a shortage of oxygen to the brain, which leads to lightheadedness and, sometimes, a "black out" episode, a loss of consciousness.
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Posture: The carriage of the body as a whole, the attitude of the body, or the position of the limbs (the arms and legs).
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Primary: First or foremost in time or development. The primary teeth (the baby teeth) are those that come first. Primary may also refer to symptoms or a disease to which others are secondary.
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Psychogenic: Caused by the mind or emotions.

Rest: 1. Repose. Relaxation.
2. A fragment of embryonic tissue that has been retained after the period of embryonic development. Also called an embryonic rest.

Therapy: The treatment of disease .
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Thyroid: 1. The thyroid gland. Also, pertaining to the thyroid gland. 2. A preparation of the thyroid gland used to treat hypothyroidism. 3. Shaped like a shield. (The thyroid gland was so-named by Thomas Wharton in 1656 because it was shaped like an ancient Greek shield.)

Tremor: Any abnormal repetitive shaking movement of the body. Tremors have many causes and can be inherited, be related to illnesses such as thyroid disease, or caused by fever, hypothermia, drugs or fear.

Vocal tremor : Trembling or shaking of one or more of the muscles of the larynx (the voice box), resulting in an unsteady sounding voice.
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From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com

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