TREATMENT OF BENIGN ESSENTIAL TREMOR WITH PROPRANOLOL: A Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract

Thirty patients with benign essential tremor (BET) aged 15‐81 years participated in a controlled therapeutical trial in order to evaluate the effect of propranolol/(Inderal®) on benign essential tremor. A double‐blind crossover technique with propranolol and placebo was used. Simple clinical tests were found useful for the evaluation of changes in the status of tremor during the trial. Patients who started the trial with propranolol showed significant better results on all parameters used during the propranolol period as compared to the placebo period. A significant difference; however, was not present between the propranolol period and the placebo period for the group of patients starting with placebo treatment. The findings are interpreted as showing that the effect of propranolol on BET is of the same magnitude as the placebo effect, but in contrast to this it is a durable effect. Five patients were completely free from tremor on 120 mg propranolol daily, while 15 patients experienced varying degrees of reduction of tremor, and 10 patients were unchanged as regards the status of tremor during the whole trial. The effect was better in younger patients with a short duration of tremor and more doubtful in older patients with a long duration of tremor. It is concluded that propranolol is the best drug known for the treatment of benign essential tremor.