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1st May 2008 - New research the cause of tremor Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry [2008] 79 (5) : 514-521 (Plaha P, Filipovic S, Gill SS.) Complete abstract Precisely what happens in the brain when tremor occurs wass not clearly known. Researchers hypothesized that tremor in Parkinson's Disease occurs when two parts of the brain : the caudal zona incerta and the subthalamic nucleus are deprived of dopamine, and that they consequently become increasingly responsive to alpha and beta frequency oscillations. Oscillations are basically increases and decreases in stimulation. They tested their idea by stimulating the part of the brain they claimed to be responsible (the caudal zona incerta) with alpha and beta oscillations using deep brain stimulation (DBS) in people with Parkinson's Disease who did not have any tremor. DBS leads were also implanted in other sites within the brain. Tremor was produced by stimulating two parts of the brain (the caudal zona incerta and the ventrolateral thalamocortical neurons). Tremor was also seen following stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus, but only after very high levels of stimulation. No tremor was found after stimulating any other areas of the brain. The researchers consequently claim that tremor originates primarily via the caudal zona incerta and the ventrolateral thalamocortical neurons, instead of other areas in the brain in which it was previously assumed that tremor originated in Parkinson's Disease (in the cortico-ZI-VL-thalamocortical loop rather than in the cortico-basal-ganglia-thalamocortical loop). Rayilyn Brown Board Member AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson's Foundation [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn