Neural mechanisms of physiological tremor

About the Project

Everyone experiences some degree of involuntary movement when trying to hold their hand still. This unintended movement is known as physiological tremor. Despite being studied for over a century, the underlying mechanisms of physiological tremor are not fully understood. In particular, the relative importance of intrinsic neural versus mechanical factors is still debated. There are also many external factors which can affect tremor, one of which is alcohol. Low to moderate acute alcohol intake has been shown to significantly reduce tremor amplitude. Again, however, the precise mechanism(s) underlying this phenomenon and the consequences for motor control are unkown. Given the ubiquity of alcohol in western society, understanding its impact upon tremor, and the consequences for motor control is important. The purpose of this project is two-fold. Firstly, we intend to use recent advances in the measurement of muscle activity to determine the relative importance of neural versus mechanical contributions to physiological tremor. Secondly, we will apply these techniques to understand how alcohol affects tremor and motor control.