International Essential Tremor Foundation Funds $75,000 in ET Research Grants

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) June 13, 2012

The International Essential Tremor Foundation (IETF) will fund three essential tremor (ET) research grants totaling $75,000 in 2012 submitted by researchers in Canada, Australia, and Sun City, Arizona.

Essential tremor, a neurological movement disorder commonly referred to as “ET”, affects nearly 10 million people in the U.S. alone. ET is very frequently misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s disease. The condition is often characterized by rhythmic, involuntary and uncontrollable shaking of the hands and arms during movement, but it sometimes can also affect the head, voice, legs and trunk.

“The IETF and Board of Directors are pleased and excited to announce funding of these ET research projects,” says Catherine Rice, IETF Executive Director. “This research is yet another step toward developing better treatment for those with ET and, one day, finding the cause of the condition. Funding ET research now is critical in order to help the millions of people with ET.”

Dr. Frederic Calon, Molecular Endocrinology and Oncology Research Center, Laval University Medical Center in Quebec, Canada and Dr. Alexander Rajput, Division of Neurology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada will be awarded $20,000 in support of the proposal “Postmortem Investigations of LINGO in Essential Tremor Patients.” This study will examine LINGO proteins in the cerebellum of patients and determine how alteration could be used to treat patients with ET through the eventual development of new drugs.

Dr. Holly Shill, Director, Christopher Center for Parkinson Research, Sun City, Arizona will be awarded $35,000 for the project “Essential Tremor Brain Bank at the Arizona Study of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders.” The project’s four aims include 1) Clinically categorize action tremor in the elderly and assess tremor and non-motor signs; 2) Compare clinical features of those with ET onset before age 65 to those with elderly onset; 3) Follow a group of tremor subjects over a three-year period for diagnostic changes; and 4) Accrue and evaluate pathological cases of ET.

Dr. Justin Keogh, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Australia will be awarded $20,000 in support of the project “Can Resistance Training Improve Manual Dexterity, Postural, and Force Tremor in Essential Tremor Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial?” The project aims to determine if real world benefits of resistance training exist for ET patients and identify the mechanisms associated with this training that may cause improvements in motor control.

About The International Essential Tremor Foundation
Headquartered in Lenexa, Kan., and founded in 1988, the International Essential Tremor Foundation is the leading organization in the world dedicated to helping those affected by essential tremor. The IETF funds research to find the cause of essential tremor (ET) that leads to a treatment and cure, increases awareness, and provides educational materials, tools, and support for healthcare providers, the public, and those affected by ET.

Since its inception, the IETF has distributed more than $500,000 in research grants to fund 12 promising ET research studies. To learn more about essential tremor, visit http://www.essentialtremor.org.

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