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Biomarkers demonstrate increased consumption, but not abuse, of ethanol in essential tremor

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Abstract

Ethanol is known to improve tremor in a proportion of patients with essential tremor. Increased incidence of alcoholism has been suspected in essential tremor patients; however, no objective evaluation has been performed using laboratory markers to date. Data on alcohol intake in the last 30 days were acquired in 95 essential tremor patients and 35 healthy controls. Blood and urine markers related to alcohol metabolism and liver function were evaluated. Self-reported alcohol intake and biomarker levels were higher in essential tremor, but the difference was only significant for carbohydrate-deficient transferrin. None of the subjects presented with laboratory parameters reflecting chronic alcohol abuse. Our data do not reflect a higher incidence of alcoholism in patients with essential tremor. Their alcohol intake is well controlled and does not exceed the limits of healthy social drinking.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital, Charles University, Kateřinská 30, 120 00, Prague 2, Czech Republic

    Olga Ulmanová, Marie Vinopalová & Evžen Růžička

  2. Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital, Charles University, Prague 2, Czech Republic

    Tomáš Zima

Authors
  1. Olga Ulmanová
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  2. Marie Vinopalová
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  3. Tomáš Zima
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  4. Evžen Růžička
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Correspondence to Evžen Růžička.

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Ulmanová, O., Vinopalová, M., Zima, T. et al. Biomarkers demonstrate increased consumption, but not abuse, of ethanol in essential tremor. J Neurol 259, 1177–1180 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-011-6323-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-011-6323-3

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