FRIDAY, April 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Non-invasive neuromodulation therapy using a custom stimulation pattern provides symptomatic relief from hand tremor in essential tremor, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, held from April 21 to 27 in Los Angeles.
Rajesh Pahwa, M.D., from the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, and colleagues randomized 77 subjects to receive peripheral nerve treatment or sham stimulation of the tremor-dominant hand in an acute study. In a chronic study, 61 patients were randomized to treatment, sham, or standard of care; participants underwent two or more sessions each day during the study.
The researchers found that the therapy was safe and produced significant improvements versus sham in the physician-rated Tremor Research Group Essential Tremor Rating Assessment Scale dominant upper limb scores and in patient-rated Bain & Findley activities of daily living scores in the acute study. There were no significant adverse events. Mild adverse events were reported by 3 percent of participants; they resolved spontaneously without intervention. Baseline tremor characteristics, including frequency, were identified in the kinematic data in the chronic study, as were tremor characteristics and response over the course of the study.
“Our research suggests that this non-invasive therapy may offer meaningful relief from the symptoms of hand tremor for people with essential tremor,” Pahwa said in a statement.
The study was funded by Cala Health, developer of the stimulation therapy.
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