An essential tremor is

An essential tremor is

• A. a slowly progressive condition where certain parts of the body shake with movement
• B. Tremor that occurs only at rest
• C. Tremor only during sleep
• D. Rapid, jerky movements

Answer: (A)

Essential tremor is an action tremor: it appears during voluntary movement and tends to be slowly progressive over time. It most often affects the hands and arms (and can involve the head or voice) and is usually bilateral. This contrasts with tremors seen in Parkinson disease, which are rest tremors that occur when the limb is not being used. It’s not limited to sleep and is not a rapid, jerky movement like chorea or other dyskinesias. So describing it as a slowly progressive condition where shaking occurs with movement best captures what essential tremor typically is.

Essential tremor is an action tremor: it appears during voluntary movement and tends to be slowly progressive over time. It most often affects the hands and arms (and can involve the head or voice) and is usually bilateral. This contrasts with tremors seen in Parkinson disease, which are rest tremors that occur when the limb is not being used. It’s not limited to sleep and is not a rapid, jerky movement like chorea or other dyskinesias. So describing it as a slowly progressive condition where shaking occurs with movement best captures what essential tremor typically is.