Clinical Characteristics of Essential and Physiological Tremor in Orhangazi District of Bursa, Turkey: A Population Based Study

To find out the estimated prevalence and clinical features of tremor and its subtypes, such as essential tremor (ET) or physiological tremor (PT), by means of a population-based study in the Orhangazi district of Bursa, Turkey.Our study was carried out between June 2004 and September 2005 among adults aged 40 years or more in Orhangazi, Bursa, Turkey. This population-based study was planned in 3 phases. In phase 1, face-to-face home interviews with 1124 subjects were carried out by residents of the departments of neurology and family medicine, using a short questionnaire; 247 persons had symptoms indicative of tremor. Of the persons with tremor symptoms in phase 1, 48 did not continue to phase 2. In phase 2, participants were videotaped and evaluated by movement disorders specialists by using scales specific to tremor. In phase 3, video recordings of all identified patients were reviewed and final diagnoses were made through a consensus of all three specialists.In the study population, the prevalence rate of ET was found to be 3.34%; of PT, 4.14%; and all types of tremor, 9.00%. There was no significant variability according to gender and age groups in prevalence rate of ET, PT. ET and PT showed significant comorbidity with hypertension (HT), rheumatological disease, diabetes mellitus (DM), and asthma.