Tremor
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
- Tremor is an unintentional and rhythmic muscular shaking movement that is repeated over and over in one or more parts of the body, especially in hands and head. The shaking is more evident when you are doing hand activities like lifting a cup or pointing at an object. Essential Tremor and Parkinson’s disease are two of the most common types of tremors.
- Unfortunately, standard treatments for tremor (medication and surgical interventions) do not provide an acceptable solution for a large number of patients.
- In the current study, we focus on suppressing elbow tremor via a Wearable Biomechanical Device (WBD). The WBD is a preliminary low risk device developed in our lab. The WBD consists of an orthosis (brace), covering the upper arm and forearm, which can absorb tremor motions when activated.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
- You may be a suitable participant if you have arm tremor that interferes with activities of daily living, e.g. eating/drinking.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?
- You will be asked to wear the WBD and perform a series of simple arm movement tasks such as pointing at an object, moving an object, holding the arm suspended or tracking a target on a computer screen.
- You may be asked to abstain from taking medications and refrain from drinking alcohol a day before attending the study.
- Each visit may last approximately 2 hours.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Gil Herrnstadt, (778) 782-9098, Email: gherrnst@sfu.ca