As someone with Essential Tremor, I wonder if this could be used along with the other sensors in the watch to help figure out when the tremor seems exacerbated or less severe.
The article mentions: "The paper also suggests the tool helped pinpoint people who slipped on medication adherence, as well as cases in which a person might benefit from a modified medication regimen."
I'm not sure that quote is relevant to ET, though, since I'd wager most who have ET do not take medication for it. Well, that's anecdotal; I don't take anything for it.
I don't know much about ET, but Parkinson's medication increases dosage based on worsening symptoms, so this seems pretty helpful in keeping symptoms and medication in check.
I’m not a doctor, just a third (or longer) generation person with essential tremors on the paternal line. Essential tremors are generally diagnosed by observing that the tremors occur when trying to do things. Parkinson’s is diagnosed when the tremors occur while resting, doing nothing, but more importantly, Parkinson’s has other symptoms as it affects many pets of your body.
Essential tremors worsen with age, and are really annoying, but they won’t shorten your life. Parkinson’s is a progressive disease that will shorten your life, and is managed differently. So the distinction between the two is not merely academic, even though there is overlap in how the shaking is managed.
Fair question and to be honest I'm not entirely sure.
All I know is that I've had tremors since maybe 10 or so years old, went to a pediatric (I believe) neurologist during high school (over 10 years ago) and they diagnosed it as that.
My grandfather has had tremors most of his life but no PD. We always attributed it to PTSD from the Holocaust and then fighting in WWII (came with the Americans to Omaha Beach on D-Day and nearly drowned, later was captured, etc.) but the fact that I clearly never experienced those things must possibly mean it's genetic. Though nobody else in my immediate family has it.
