Gerbasi Margaret E, Elble Rodger J, Shill Holly A, Jones Eddie, Gillespie Alexander, Jarvis John, Chertavian Elizabeth, Smith Zachary, Shih Ludy C
Sage Therapeutics Inc., Cambridge, MA, US.
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, US.
Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y). 2025 Aug 7;15:37. doi: 10.5334/tohm.1046. eCollection 2025.
Essential tremor (ET) is a common movement disorder that affects the upper limbs in vital activities of daily living. Few studies have examined the impact of tremor severity on caregiving intensity.
Clinic-based data were collected in the United States (US) from March 2021 to August 2021 through the Adelphi ET Disease Specific Programme (DSP). Linked data between physician and care partner/patient pairs were used to evaluate care partner-reported weekly hours of patient care. Tremor severity was assessed with the Essential Tremor Rating Assessment Scale (TETRAS) Performance and Activities of Daily Living subscales. Pearson chi-square, correlation and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between tremor severity and hours of care partner assistance.
A quarter of 960 individuals with ET required care partners. Most care partners were spouses (61%), but other family members or friends also served as care partners. About 23% of care partners reported giving constant care, defined as 112 hours per week or more, while the remainder of care partners reported caregiving time averaging 24.5 hours per week. The probability of needing a care partner was significantly associated with tremor severity, and the association between care partner need and tremor severity was moderate (bivariate r = 0.32-0.37) and not substantially impacted by the inclusion of additional covariates (age, sex, race, comorbidity, relationship with patient, and living with patient).
Roughly 25% of patients with ET have care partner needs, and the number of care partner hours provided is correlated with tremor severity. Therefore, treatments that ameliorate tremor severity have the potential to reduce caregiving intensity in ET.
特发性震颤（ET）是一种常见的运动障碍，在日常生活的重要活动中会影响上肢。很少有研究探讨震颤严重程度对护理强度的影响。
2021年3月至2021年8月期间，通过美国阿德尔菲特发性震颤疾病特定项目（DSP）在美国收集基于诊所的数据。使用医生与护理伙伴/患者对之间的关联数据来评估护理伙伴报告的每周患者护理时长。采用特发性震颤评分评估量表（TETRAS）的日常生活表现和活动分量表评估震颤严重程度。进行Pearson卡方检验、相关性分析和多变量回归分析，以研究震颤严重程度与护理伙伴协助时长之间的关系。
960例特发性震颤患者中有四分之一需要护理伙伴。大多数护理伙伴是配偶（61%），但其他家庭成员或朋友也担任护理伙伴。约23%的护理伙伴报告提供持续护理，即每周112小时或更长时间，而其余护理伙伴报告的护理时间平均为每周24.5小时。需要护理伙伴的可能性与震颤严重程度显著相关，护理伙伴需求与震颤严重程度之间的关联为中等（双变量r = 0.32 - 0.37），纳入其他协变量（年龄、性别、种族、合并症、与患者的关系以及是否与患者同住）后并未受到实质性影响。
大约25%的特发性震颤患者有护理伙伴需求，护理伙伴提供的时长与震颤严重程度相关。因此，改善震颤严重程度的治疗方法有可能降低特发性震颤患者的护理强度。
