Identifying Markers of Disease Subtypes and Disease Progression in the Syndrome of Essential Tremor

Medical University of Graz

Status: Invitation-only

Conditions: Essential Tremor

Treatments: Diagnostic Test: Clinical examination, blood draw, cerebral MRI, sonography, tremor analysis, OCT, olfactory mucosa swab.

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06349538

35-435 ex 22/23

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this observational study is to learn about epidemiology, biologic markers, disease subtypes and possible prognostic factors in essential tremor (ET) patients. The main question[s] it aims to answer are:

• The prevalence of ET-plus compared to ET in a prospectively collected ET population.
• To assess in detail the heterogenous group of ET patients using comprehensive clinical (motor and non-motor scales, questionnaires), imaging [magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), sonography of substantia nigra and cerebral vessels], neurophysiological (tremor analysis, digital spiral drawing) and laboratory markers (sGFAP, sNfL, routine laboratory parameters).
• To assess possible non-invasive markers of neurodegeneration in ET patients (optic coherence tomography, alpha-synuclein in olfactory mucosa)

Participants will be asked to undergo the above mention evaluation at baseline and at follow-up approx. 5 years later.

Researchers will compare the findings within the ET group to independently existing cohorts of healthy controls and/or patients with other movement disorders like Parkinson's disease.

Enrollment: 100 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Presence of an essential tremor syndrome according to MDS consensus criteria or suspected incipient essential tremor (differential diagnosis vs. enhanced physiological tremor)
• Patient is able and willing to give informed consent.
• age above 18 years.

Exclusion criteria

• Patient is not able or not willing to give informed consent.
• Existence of a legal representative.
• age below 18 years

Trial design

100 participants in 1 patient group

Essential tremor patients

Description:

Essential tremor patients will undergo a detailed clinical examination incl. motor/non motor scoring systems and questionnaires, blood draw, sonography, tremor analysis and cerebral MRI. Additionally, essential tremor patients will undergo optic coherence tomography and olfcatory mucosa swab for alpha-synuclein. All tests are conducted at baseline as well as at a follow-up examination 5 years later. No drugs or other interventions are to be administered

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: Clinical examination, blood draw, cerebral MRI, sonography, tremor analysis, OCT, olfactory mucosa swab.