Patient's question:
A friend has had hand tremors since childhood whenever they get nervous. Sometimes, the tremors become severe, affecting their entire body, and they can't control them. However, this condition never reappears in their daily life. The doctor said this is essential tremor. The friend is worried that it might be inherited to their child in future generations. How many generations can essential tremor be passed down through?Doctor's answer:
Idiopathic tremor is a common movement disorder, and postural tremor is the only clinical manifestation of this condition, often with a family history. It is recommended to perform chromosomal testing to rule out the possibility of hereditary transmission across generations. Idiopathic tremor primarily manifests as postural tremor and kinetic tremor. Postural tremor reappears when maintaining a certain posture by resisting gravity, while kinetic tremor occurs during voluntary muscle contractions of the skeletal muscles.