Primidone Therapy for Essential Vocal Tremor. 2016

Andrew Nida, and Josie Alston, and John Schweinfurth
Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Sciences, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson.

OBJECTIVE Essential vocal tremor is difficult to treat. An effective pharmacologic treatment could allow patients to avoid or decrease the frequency or dosage of botulinum neurotoxin injections. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of primidone in the treatment of essential vocal tremor. METHODS Medical records of all patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of laryngeal spasm or essential tremor treated with primidone between June 1, 2012, and March 21, 2014, at a tertiary care medical center were reviewed. Data analysis occurred in April 2014. METHODS Duration of therapy, improvement of symptoms, and whether the patient subsequently initiated botulinum neurotoxin therapy. RESULTS All 30 patients were female (mean [SD] age, 71.9 [11.8] years). Mean (SD) therapy duration was 5.25 (7.22) months. Nine patients (30%) had other vocal conditions (4 had coexisting spasmodic dysphonia, 4 had laryngopharyngeal reflux disease, and 1 had muscle tension dysphonia). Twelve (40%) had previously undergone treatment. Fourteen of 26 patients (54%) reported an improvement in their vocal symptoms, and 16 of 29 (55%) did not discontinue primidone therapy. Twenty-two of 30 patients (73%) experienced adverse effects. Therapy was discontinued by 11 of 21 patients (52%) who experienced adverse effects and 2 of 8 patients (25%) who did not report adverse effects (P = .24) (1 patient who had adverse effects was missing data on discontinuation of therapy). Sixteen patients (53%) subsequently initiated botulinum toxin therapy, including 5 of 14 patients (36%) who reported clinical improvement with primidone therapy and 7 of 12 patients (58%) who did not report improvement (P = .43). CONCLUSIONS Primidone therapy was an effective pharmacologic treatment for essential vocal tremor in 14 of 26 patients in this case series, providing an alternative to botulinum neurotoxin therapy.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007273 Injections, Intramuscular Forceful administration into a muscle of liquid medication, nutrient, or other fluid through a hollow needle piercing the muscle and any tissue covering it. Intramuscular Injections,Injection, Intramuscular,Intramuscular Injection
D007821 Laryngeal Muscles The striated muscle groups which move the LARYNX as a whole or its parts, such as altering tension of the VOCAL CORDS, or size of the slit (RIMA GLOTTIDIS). Cricothyroid Muscles,Aryepiglottic Muscle,Arytenoid Muscle,Cricoarytenoid Muscles,Thyroarytenoid Muscles,Thyroepiglottic Muscle,Vocal Muscle,Vocalis Muscle,Aryepiglottic Muscles,Arytenoid Muscles,Cricoarytenoid Muscle,Cricothyroid Muscle,Laryngeal Muscle,Muscle, Aryepiglottic,Muscle, Arytenoid,Muscle, Cricoarytenoid,Muscle, Cricothyroid,Muscle, Laryngeal,Muscle, Thyroarytenoid,Muscle, Thyroepiglottic,Muscle, Vocal,Muscle, Vocalis,Muscles, Aryepiglottic,Muscles, Arytenoid,Muscles, Cricoarytenoid,Muscles, Cricothyroid,Muscles, Laryngeal,Muscles, Thyroarytenoid,Muscles, Thyroepiglottic,Muscles, Vocal,Muscles, Vocalis,Thyroarytenoid Muscle,Thyroepiglottic Muscles,Vocal Muscles,Vocalis Muscles
D009465 Neuromuscular Agents Drugs used for their actions on skeletal muscle. Included are agents that act directly on skeletal muscle, those that alter neuromuscular transmission (NEUROMUSCULAR BLOCKING AGENTS), and drugs that act centrally as skeletal muscle relaxants (MUSCLE RELAXANTS, CENTRAL). Drugs used in the treatment of movement disorders are ANTI-DYSKINESIA AGENTS. Skeletal Muscle Relaxants,Neuromuscular Effect,Neuromuscular Effects,Agents, Neuromuscular,Effect, Neuromuscular,Effects, Neuromuscular,Muscle Relaxants, Skeletal,Relaxants, Skeletal Muscle
D011324 Primidone A barbiturate derivative that acts as a GABA modulator and anti-epileptic agent. It is partly metabolized to PHENOBARBITAL in the body and owes some of its actions to this metabolite. Desoxyphenobarbital,Primaclone,Apo-Primidone,Liskantin,Misodine,Mizodin,Mylepsinum,Mysoline,Primidon Holsten,Resimatil,Sertan,Apo Primidone
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D012189 Retrospective Studies Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons. Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective
D014833 Voice Quality That component of SPEECH which gives the primary distinction to a given speaker's VOICE when pitch and loudness are excluded. It involves both phonatory and resonatory characteristics. Some of the descriptions of voice quality are harshness, breathiness and nasality. Qualities, Voice,Quality, Voice,Voice Qualities
D016896 Treatment Outcome Evaluation undertaken to assess the results or consequences of management and procedures used in combating disease in order to determine the efficacy, effectiveness, safety, and practicability of these interventions in individual cases or series. Rehabilitation Outcome,Treatment Effectiveness,Clinical Effectiveness,Clinical Efficacy,Patient-Relevant Outcome,Treatment Efficacy,Effectiveness, Clinical,Effectiveness, Treatment,Efficacy, Clinical,Efficacy, Treatment,Outcome, Patient-Relevant,Outcome, Rehabilitation,Outcome, Treatment,Outcomes, Patient-Relevant,Patient Relevant Outcome,Patient-Relevant Outcomes

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