Table 1.
Clinical and pathological features of controls and essential tremor cases.
| Variables | Controls | ET cases | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| N | 30 | 60 | |
| Age at death (years) | 84.2 ± 8.6 | 86.6 ± 5.4 | 0.121a |
| Age of tremor onset (years) | NA | 42.6 ± 21.6 Median = 47.5 | |
| Duration of tremor (years) | NA | 44.0 ± 21.9 Median = 40.5 | |
| Gender | 0.291b | ||
| Male | 15 (50.0%) | 23 (38.3%) | |
| Female | 15 (50.0%) | 37 (61.7%) | |
| PC counts | 10.6 ± 1.9 | 8.9 ± 1.4 | 0.003a |
| Torpedo counts | 5.4 ± 4.0 | 27.4 ± 28.0 Median = 17 | 0.001c |
| CF synaptic density (puncta/100 μm) | 21.9 ± 3.6 | 18.0 ± 2.3 Median = 18 | <0.001c |
| Percentage of CFs extending into the PF territory | 20.2 ± 9.2 | 28.9 ± 6.8 | <0.001a |
Values represent mean ± standard deviation or number (percentage), and for variables with a non-normal distribution, the median is reported as well. Mean number of Purkinje cell counts (PCs) per 100 × microscopic field, among 15 sampled fields. Bolded values are significant (with Bonferroni correction).
NA not applicable.
Abbreviations PC: Purkinje cells, CF: climbing fiber, PF: parallel fiber.
a
Independent samples t-test.
b
Chi-square test.
c
Independent samples Mann-Whitney U test.