Cognitive functions, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances: assessment of nonmotor features in young patients with essential tremor

There is a growing amount of evidence to suggest that besides motor features, patients with essential tremor (ET) may exhibit significant nonmotor features, such as mild cognitive deficits, fatigue, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and sleep disturbances. The goal of this study was to examine nonmotor features in young patients with ET and their impact on quality of life. 45 patients (24.55 ± 7.16 years old) with ET and 35 controls were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Scale, Fatigue Severity Scale, and Short Form-36. Cognitive functions were evaluated using the Turkish version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Battery (MoCA). We ruled out other possible causes of the tremor. The tremor rate was evaluated using the Fahn–Tolosa–Marin Tremor Rating Scale. Poor sleep quality, fatigue, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were more common, and MoCA total scores were lower in the patient group. Fatigue, depressive symptoms, and higher anxiety levels were seen to have a negative effect on physical and mental health. Excessive daytime sleepiness had a negative effect on physical health. There is an emerging interest in nonmotor features of ET. This study showed that even young patients have nonmotor features that decrease their quality of life. This might tell us that nonmotor symptoms could be a part of the disease in the early stages.