Effect of adrenaline, noradrenaline, atropine, and nicotine on some types of human tremor.

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Abstract
The effects of 4 pharmacological substances on the amplitude of tremor in 22 patients ranging in age from 25 to 74 years was studied. Seven patients had essential tremor, 8 Parkinsonian tremor, 3 cerebellar tremor, one a tremor associated with a high brainstem lesion and three with anxiety tremor. Intravenous infusion of Adrenaline [epinephrine] In 18 patients increased tremor in 17 of them. Noradrenaline [nor-epinephrine] and atropine had a variable effect on tremor while a 2 mg dose of nicotine decreased Parkinsonian tremor within a few min. In patients with other types of tremor this same dose of nicotine could produce an increase in tremor. Results indicate that the increase in Parkinsonian tremor with Adrenaline is largely though not entirely, drug specific. Any increase seen with the other three drugs was not of the same degree as that with Adrenaline. In the other cases Adrenaline increased the amplitude of the tremor and the other drugs produced a variable response. The only other constant response was the depression of Parkinsonian tremor with nicotine. The difference, however, between the effect of nicotine upon Parkinsonian tremor and the effects on other types of tremor was not specific enough so as to provide a basis of classifying tremors pharmacologically.