Self-reported physical activity in essential tremor: Relationship with tremor, balance, and cognitive function

Background Physical inactivity may be the result of medical comorbidities. Inactivity itself may also lead to important health consequences, especially in older patients. Essential tremor (ET) patients may have a variety of physical and cognitive problems that could detrimentally impact on level of physical activity. Yet, to our knowledge, there have been no studies of physical activity in these patients. Methods Self-reported physical activity was assessed using the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) in 100 ET cases (mean age 80.5 years) enrolled in a clinical study. Additional clinical measures were the total tremor score, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) score and number of steps taken off of the straight line during tandem gait (a measure of balance). Results Lower PASE score was associated with older age, more tandem gait difficulty, higher total tremor score and lower MOCA score (all p < 0.05). In a linear regression model that included total tremor score, MOCA score, number of steps off of the straight line during tandem gait, and age, higher total tremor score (p = 0.046) and more steps off of the straight line during tandem gait (p = 0.014) were independently associated with reductions in physical activity. Conclusions Several of the motor features of ET (tremor and imbalance) are independently associated with reductions in level of physical activity.