Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • In Brief
  • Published:

Movement disorders

Is essential tremor a neurological channelopathy?

Nature Reviews Neurology volume 11, page 611 (2015)Cite this article

Subjects

A new study has found that an autosomal dominantly inherited mutation in the SCN4A gene is associated with essential tremor and increased susceptibility to epilepsy in a large Spanish family. SCN4A encodes the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.4, which was previously thought to be confined to muscle, but the researchers were able to detect SCN4A mRNA in neuronal tissue. The results point towards neurological channelopathies as one of the underlying causes of essential tremor.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Bergareche, A. et al. SCN4A pore mutation pathogenetically contributes to autosomal dominant essential tremor and may increase susceptibility to epilepsy. Hum. Mol. Genet. 10.1093/hmg/ddv410

Download references

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Is essential tremor a neurological channelopathy?. Nat Rev Neurol 11, 611 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2015.185

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2015.185

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing