Session Information
Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Session Title: Tremor
Session Time: 12:30pm-2:00pm
Location: Exhibit Hall located in Hall B, Level 2
Objective: To develop a questionnaire quantifying the impact of orthostatic tremor (OT) on function and quality of life to enable some measure of disease severity over time.
Background: OT is a rare condition characterized by unsteadiness on standing with an associated 13-18Hz leg tremor, with few therapeutic options. There are no established, objective markers of disease severity although in practice patients may report worsening of symptoms over time.
Methods: Patients fulfilling diagnostic criteria for OT completed a questionnaire regarding clinical characteristics, medication response, fall frequency and the use of gait aid. Interviews were conducted to identify domains for inclusion in a new impact profile. Forty-seven items across activities of daily living, mobility, social participation and emotional effects were drafted and the same patients were invited to complete the final OT impact profile (OTIP, score range 0-235). At the six year time point the same patients were invited to repeat the OTIP questionnaire. Changes in overall and sub domain scores were analysed using a paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed rank test as appropriate.
Results: Thirty-three patients with OT and documented baseline characteristics were interviewed. Twenty-one of these patients completed the final OTIP questionnaire. After six years 16 patients completed the OTIP for a second time. The mean total OTIP score at baseline was 143(SD 36). There was no difference in the mean total score at follow up (133, p=0.4). There was also no difference in mean sub domain scores.
Conclusions: OT has a broad range of impacts on patients affecting multiple domains of function and quality of life. We found no change in the impact of OT on quality of life measures over time. The OTIP questionnaire appears to have some utility in measuring functional impact and may be a useful marker of disease severity.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
N. Vijiaratnam, D. Siresena, E. Paul, K.L. Bertram, D.R. Williams. Orthostatic tremor: Disease progression and disability [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2016; 31 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/orthostatic-tremor-disease-progression-and-disability/. Accessed June 14, 2025.« Back to 2016 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/orthostatic-tremor-disease-progression-and-disability/