If usually, the tremors can accompany an artist when he has the stage fright, for Clara Luciani, this symptom belongs to his daily life. Indeed, the interpreter of Granada suffers from essential tremors, a little -known hereditary neurological pathology. True Medical interviewed Dr. Wilfrid Pouton, to better understand this particular disorder.
A disease on which she had confided in 2019 already
On the occasion of her visit to the show Small Talk on YouTube, on May 14, the young mother returned to this disease that has touched her for several years. With franchise, she says: “I tremble all the time“And these visible tremors have nothing to do with alcohol, drugs or any emotional fragility. However, that’s what many have supposed, often aloud.
“There are lots of situations in my life where I was told: Did you drink it? You have taken drugs? You are intimidated? And I have nothing of that of that“She deplores the microphone of David Castello-Lope.
To try to hide what her body cannot control, the singer instinctively clung to her microphone. But this stratagem only accentuated the problem: the more it tried to hide its tremors, the more they intensified under the effect of stress.
A vicious circle which it took time to go out. And although she is not healed, she advances. “”Today, I am able to go on stage with a wireless microphone“. A small gesture, but a big victory over itself.
Essential tremors, a neurological pathology whose cause is poorly known
Asked, Dr. Wilfrid sauceon specifies first of all that there is currently no causal explanation, for this disease.
“”In medicine, we use the “essential” adjective in this case “. The doctor, however, reports the involvement of the cerebellum, in this neurological disorder. “”There is a dysfunction of the loops between the cerebellum and the spinal cord. This generates a fairly fast attitude and action trend. ”
The opposite of the characteristic tremor of Parkinson’s disease. “”In this case, the tremor is slower and it comes to rest“still describes the neurologist.”Hands and heads (a chef’s tremor), tongue, vocal cords and chin are observed in a patient with essential tremors. While the chief’s tremor is on the contrary rare or even non -existent in Parkinson’s disease “.
Hereditary disease, which can occur at any age
Still according to our expert, essential tremors are hereditary. In the case of Clara Luciani, her mother was touched.
“”The disease can start late or from adolescence, there are not really rules “ Add the doctor. “”But depending on the profession exercised, it will be more or less embarrassing “.
In the vast majority of cases, no treatment is prescribed. “The first therapeutic approach is abstention” exhibits the neurologist. “”We explain the pathology to the patient and the fact that it will be very little scalable“.
Drug treatments, but not only
In some cases, however, taking treatment will be necessary. “”There are two currently on the market: beta-blockers, which should not be selective cardio, that is to say which do not only act on blood pressure and heart. But they limit effort in patients and slow down the pulse, which can sometimes be a problem“.
The second treatment is primidone, a molecule that sedes patients. “”Tolerance is not always good“Confirm the Dr. Pans.
For the most serious cases, treatment from radiosurgery can be envisaged. “”This is the irradiation of a small zone of the thalamus, which makes it possible to inhibit certain activating loops of the tremor. This is achieved by Gamma Knife, a very precise device that allows this. ”
Finally, for less than ten years, scientists have developed a sound therapy technique, which has developed in Europe. “”It is a question of achieving the same irradiation but with ultrasound “ details our expert. “”We can realize this gesture, which does not require opening the skull, at any age“.
Finally, the heaviest therapeutic act remains deep brain neurostimulation, as for Parkinson’s disease. It concerns less than 10% of cases.
Towards targeted gene therapy to treat this disorder?
Dr. Wilfrid Pouton finally evokes the future and considers it important to study the track of gene therapy.
“”There is no gene identified for the time being, on essential tremors. But this is a track not to be overlooked because the discovery of the gene (s) responsible for the disease would make it possible to envisage gene therapy as a treatment“He concludes.