Hello Charlotte,
my answer is after your question.
>From: charlotte A mancuso <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: on a causal theory of PD
>Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 15:25:39 -0700
>
>you write:
>
> "If one's heart is beating like a metronome it is an indicator of a
>serious disease.
>The same we can see in the case of tremor. Normal spectral curves of >the
>tremor have a wide spectrum. ...
> The fact that in the case of the PD the spectral curves of the >resting
>tremor demonstrate a sharp peak at 5 Hz together with sharp >harmonics at
>10 and 20 Hz clearly says: there is something very >special. Just in
>temporal processes. Being a resonance of a mysterious origin."
>
>Unless I'm very much mistaken, tremor is abnormal with any rhythm.
>
>Charlotte
V.R.: No, no, "physiological tremor" is a whole branch of science.
In order to give you an idea about normal and pathologic tremors I shall
make some copies from internet medical sources:
WE ALL SHAKE EVEN IF UNAWARE OF IT.
Tremor (shaking) does not always mean that something is wrong. We all shake
even if we are unaware of it. Electronic
sensors placed on the tips of the fingers will detect an invisible tremor in
everyone. This is called "physiological" tremor.
It becomes stronger and more visible when feeling anxious or frightened or
angry.
It is helpful to appreciate that there are various kinds of tremor, under
the following broad categories:
RESTING TREMOR, NOTABLY OF "PILL-ROLLING" TYPE BETWEEN THUMB AND FINGERS, IS
A COMMON FEATURE OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE.
Resting tremor: This occurs when the hands are stationary and the arms limp.
For example, when the hands are placed on the lap, or during walking.
Resting tremor, notably of "pill-rolling" type between thumb and fingers, is
a common feature of Parkinson's disease. It lessens with use of the hands.
Postural tremor: This is the opposite of resting tremor. It comes on when
the arms are lifted into activity. Included in
this category is physiological tremor, and the tremor brought on by certain
medications, drugs and alcohol (notably
alcohol withdrawal), and drinking too much caffeine. Certain metabolic
disorders including thyroid gland over-activity
can also cause postural tremor.
Intention tremor: This is a task-related shakiness of the hands, such as
when placing a cup to the lips. "Pure"
intention tremor, occurring without postural tremor, is quite uncommon and
it can denote a problem with the cerebellum,
which is a part of the brain that controls bodily coordination.
TREMOR
The typical tremor of PD is maximal at rest, often assymmetic and
approximately 3-5Hz. The hands are preferentially
affected, but with more advanced disease the legs, chin and head may be
involved. The most important differential is
essential tremor (ET), which is frequently bilateral (although often
somewhat assymmetric) and characteristically
maximal in sustaining antigravity postures. Kinetic tremor may also be
present. The hands are most frequently involved,
although some patients may have relatively isolated involvement of the head
or voice. Voluntary movements of the
opposite limbs may not uncommonly bring our a mild degree of cogwheeling
(Fromont's sign) in ET, so this cannot be
used as a totally reliable differentiator from PD. Similarly, postural and
kinetic tremor may both be seen in PD. The
frequency of ET may be somewhat higher in some patients (5-7 Hz; 8-12Hz in
the case of exaggerated physiological
tremor) than parkinsonian tremor, but this is also not a reliable
differentiator. Probably the best ways to separate the
diagnoses are on the basis of the handwriting (micrographic in PD) and by
asking the patient to walk. This will typically
accentuate parkinsonian tremor, whereas ET will often be attenuated, as the
limb is fully dependent and therefore at rest.
Although the typical rest tremor of PD is generally unresponsive to ethanol,
in contrast to ET, this distinction is not
always a reliable diagnostic feature.
More serious data about all kind of tremors one can get in scientific
papers. I shall point to the articles from University of Freiburg, Germany.
Articles by J.Timmer et al. consist profound data together with nice
detailed figures of spectral curves of tremors.
Typical data for physiological and Parkinsonian tremor are:
frequency at peak halfvalues amplitude
-------------------------------------------------------------------
physiol. tremor 8,6 Hz 3.5 Hz 0.020 mm
PD tremor 4.4 Hz 0.12 Hz (!) 4.4 mm
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The amplitudes vary a lot, peak frequencies vary also but the halfvalues (
the widths of the spectra at 1/2 of amplitude) of spectra are in the case of
all pathologic tremors (PD, ET, and orthostatic tremor disease) very small,
i.e., in all three cases we have a phenomenon of SHARP RESONANCE. That is
just what our causal theory predicts. The ratio between 3.5 Hz and 0.12 Hz
is 30 (!).
It shows that there is a great enough signal-to-noise ratio which can
guarantee that in a future diagnostic system based on the analysis of full
Fourier-spectra of tremors we could DETECT QUITE EARLY SYMPTOMS of PD.
It is now my prediction which should be, of course, experimentally
validated but all my theoretical data and all experimental data I have seen
up to now confirm that there is a real basis in this idea. In difficult
cases simultaneous EEG and EMG spectra can help us.
What is needed for that? Not so much. Probably some fundamental research
to find the best version of the method, then an international
standardisation of the method and then an international internet databank
for the normal and pathological spectral data.
And then we have made something real to help children of PD families.
Vello Reeben
>On Sun, 30 Jun 2002 19:56:42 +0000 Vello Reeben
><[log in to unmask]> writes:
> > Hello Paul,
> >
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