Treatments for Parkinson's Hand Tremors
According to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, tremor is one of the four cardinal signs of Parkinson's disease. While there is no cure for Parkinson's disease, there are many different treatment options that can reduce the various symptoms of the disease. Effective treatments for hand tremors include several types of drugs as well as a surgical procedure called deep brain stimulation.
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Levodopa
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According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, since Parkinson's disease occurs as a result of a lack of dopamine in the brain, many drugs used to treat Parkinson's symptoms work by increasing the brain's levels of dopamine. One such drug is levodopa, a substance that is converted into dopamine once it reaches the brain. Levodopa is very effective in treating hand tremors and other symptoms during the early state of Parkinson's. Levodopa can cause unpleasant side effects, however, especially with long-term use. The effectiveness of the drug also tends to wane over time.
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Dopamine Agonists
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As the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research explains, dopamine agonists are drugs that perform the role of dopamine without needing to be converted into dopamine. Dopamine agonists are not as effective as levodopa at treating Parkinson's symptoms, but they do tend to cause fewer motor side effects. Dopamine agonists may be used on their own or in conjunction with levodopa.
MAO B Inhibitors and COMT Inhibitors
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According to the Mayo Clinic, MAO B inhibitors and COMT inhibitors treat hand tremors and other symptoms by blocking enzymes that naturally break down dopamine and levodopa in the brain. MAO B inhibitors can be used on their own or with levodopa; COMT inhibitors are typically used in conjunction with levodopa.
Anticholinergics
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As the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research states, anticholinergics are drugs that mainly treat the symptom of tremor. While anticholinergics can be quite effective at treating hand tremors, they can also cause side effects such as hallucinations and memory problems. For this reason, they are usually only used in patients under the age of 70 who are not suffering from mental impairment.
Amantadine
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According to the Mayo Clinic, amantadine, an antiviral drug, is sometimes used as a short-term treatment for hand tremors and other symptoms during the early stage of Parkinson's. It can also be used to reduce the side effects of levodopa in people with an advanced form of Parkinson's disease.
Deep Brain Stimulation
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According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the most common surgical approach to treat Parkinson's symptoms is deep brain stimulation, a procedure in which electrodes are implanted into parts of the brain and then connected to a pulse generator that resides in the chest. Under the direction of the pulse generator, the electrodes stimulate certain parts of the brain, reducing hand tremors and other symptoms and lessening the need for drug treatments. The procedure is most effective in people for whom levodopa was initially an effective treatment; it is usually only considered after drug treatment becomes ineffective or begins to cause debilitating side effects.
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References
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