[Tremor--clinical features]

Abstract

Tremor is the commonest hyperkinesia in humans, often very impressive in its manifestation not only for patients and their families but also for physicians themselves. As a variety of etiological factors, diseases, conditions and substances that can cause it, this clinical entity is a recurrent differential diagnostic problem, that sometimes, unfortunately, results in diagnostic and therapeutic failures. Relative therapeutic resistance of some types of tremor, along with ineffective treatment and frequent iatrogenic potential, makes an additional problem in everyday clinical practice. Thus, there is a need for understanding and further research of the patophysiology of tremor occurrence, and continuous investigation of new medications and other therapeutic procedures. Knowledge of differential diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines for this disorder, however, gives a contribution to solving the problems almost daily encountered by specialists in various fields, but particularly family doctors. The paper presents diagnostic criteria for various types of physiological and pathological tremor, their classification, clinical and electrophysiological methods of evaluation, as well as the most recent therapeutic guidelines.