Abstract
Uncontrolled clinical studies have suggested that primidone may be effective in reducing essential tremor thus providing a valuable alternative to beta-adrenoreceptor antagonists which are currently the drugs of first choice. A double blind, placebo controlled trial of primidone in essential tremor of the hands and head was carried out using both clinical and objective methods of assessment. Primidone was significantly superior to placebo in reducing the magnitude of hand tremor, its efficacy being comparable to that of propranolol. In two patients tremor was reduced to non-symptomatic levels, an effect rarely seen with propranolol. No consistent attenuation of head tremor was found. There was no correlation between serum primidone or derived phenobarbitone concentrations and the reduction of hand tremor. An acute toxic reaction to an initial small dose (62.5 mg) of primidone was seen in six of 22 patients.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Baruzzi A., Procaccianti G., Martinelli P., Riva R., Denoth F., Montanaro N., Lugaresi E. Phenobarbital and propranolol in essential tremor: a double-blind controlled clinical trial. Neurology. 1983 Mar;33(3):296–300. doi: 10.1212/wnl.33.3.296. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Calzetti S., Findley L. J., Perucca E., Richens A. The response of essential tremor to propranolol: evaluation of clinical variables governing its efficacy on prolonged administration. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1983 May;46(5):393–398. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.46.5.393. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Calzetti S., Findley L. J., Pisani F., Richens A. Phenylethylmalonamide in essential tremor. A double-blind controlled study. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1981 Oct;44(10):932–934. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.44.10.932. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Chakrabarti A., Pearce J. M. Essential tremor: response to primidone. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1981 Jul;44(7):650–650. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.44.7.650. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cleeves L., Findley L. J. Beta-adrenoreceptor mechanisms in essential tremor: a comparative single dose study of the effect of a non-selective and a beta-2 selective adrenoreceptor antagonist. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1984 Sep;47(9):976–982. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.47.9.976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Feely M. Benign familial tremor treated with primidone. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1981 Feb 28;282(6265):740–741. doi: 10.1136/bmj.282.6265.740-b. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Findley L. J., Calzetti S. Double-blind controlled study of primidone in essential tremor: preliminary results. 1982 Aug 28-Sep 4Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 285(6342):608–608. doi: 10.1136/bmj.285.6342.608. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Koller W. C. Propranolol therapy for essential tremor of the head. Neurology. 1984 Aug;34(8):1077–1079. doi: 10.1212/wnl.34.8.1077. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Larsen T. A., Calne D. B. Essential tremor. Clin Neuropharmacol. 1983;6(3):185–206. doi: 10.1097/00002826-198309000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Murray T. J. Treatment of essential tremor with propranolol. Can Med Assoc J. 1972 Nov 18;107(10):984–986. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- O'Brien M. D., Upton A. R., Toseland P. A. Benign familial tremor treated with primidone. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1981 Jan 17;282(6259):178–180. doi: 10.1136/bmj.282.6259.178. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Sun L., Walwick E. R. Primidone analyses: correlation of gas-chromatographic assay with enzyme immunoassay. Clin Chem. 1976 Jun;22(6):901–902. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]