I hate to ask a really basic question, but can somebody give a somewhat understandable explanation as to why we tremor?

Randy

I believe that is an excellent question...

I am going to explain it simply by comparing us who are tremulous -shakers
as we are electric -Walt Whitman had a great title to one of his poems -
I sing the body electric... we are indeed.

okay -if we were lamps and everything was working when we hit the switch or pulled the chain to turn on the lamp -it would turn on automatically,
yet if the cord was bad because it was only hanging on by a few fibers
or the light bulb was not in the socket because it had become abit loose,
you would see it may not turn on or if it did it would blink off and on ...
in our bodies we have synapses they signal the electricity in the body
to wire a message to the hand to hold a glass, but the signal is impaired because their is a short in our bodies, we could be short in many different areas: therefore we could easily drop that glass glass sending it crashing to the floor, because the signal misfired and was lost -it possibly incurred a delay
before we actually get the signal...

we do this even in our hearing -because I would ask people to repeat they thought I was deaf or was not paying attention to them
but the most irritating part is - I am trying very hard to hear them -
but I lose words -and some doctors do not know this -only the great doctors
who are brilliant - seem to understand that it is a lost signal...

it you want a technical answer go to www.answers.com
and type in tremors and parkinson's disease...
http://www.answers.com/topic/parkins...oms?cat=health

also this is extra but for you -no charge...

some PD patients do not tremor -they just can't move -we call that - "freezing" -my good friend he used to ask me for my hand - I believe because my electronics helped him re-hook up... to the "live wire"
in my body... then he could walk again -


last week when the iceman/storm came through my area of the country,
the power lines were down because the weight of the ice on the trees
broke major limbs off trees - and they pulled down the power lines,
and the scary part about seeing this -I will never forget
the power line snapped I heard it buzz it caught the tree afire, and then
what lookedlike huge balls of fire that were bright red /electricity started rolling, a then kinda bounced themselves smaller my sister called 911 but it was busy -
so she called the state highway patrol because the glow of pink from these
huge fire balls cast a pink shadow in her house then immediately a crew showed up and turned off all the power on purpose?

for those

we are vitamin deficient and the body spirals downward turning into an illness

here are some vitamins and what they do - I take them w/ an much better healthy diet of vegies and not much red meat at all only organically grown products and zero tap water,
because I have had PD for since dxd 1994, actually before this but in the old daze -the neurologists thought you had to be elderly to get P.D. my response is - I wish!


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Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) — An antioxidant in its own right, Protects nerve receptors from oxidative damage. Vitamin C helps to protect us from heavy metals, particularly lead and arsenic which can poison certain enzyme reactions in your body. Vitamin C has displacing and detoxifying actions on lead, mercury, and chemical poisons. Proper levels of vitamin C in the system is needed for the body to synthesize serotonin and other neurotransmitters. Vitamin C, vitamin B6, and calcium as a group should be known as the, "neurotransmitter vitamins". In studying the chemistry of neurotransmitter synthesis from DNA to the neurotransmitter these two vitamins and the mineral calcium are involved everywhere. Necessary for energy production, tyrosine metabolism, reduction and storage of iron, and the activation of folic acid. In this formula, Vitamin C plays an important role in the synthesis of neurotransmitters and proper brain hormone production.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) —Helps breakdown carbohydrates, plays an essential role in energy production including the conversion of glucose to energy. Thiamine also helps convert fatty acids to hormones such as cortisol and progesterone, and turn amino acids into proteins, hormones and enzymes. B-1 is an antioxidant nutrient that helps the body to inhibit the formation of the damaging free radicals. A building block to the development of serotonin. Vitamin B1 also chelates/sheds heavy metals such as lead. It is effective in the treatment of Alzheimer's & neurological conditions, uneven heartbeat, low blood pressure and chest pain. B-1: Helps maintain normal function of nervous system, muscles and heart.

B-2 A building block to the development of serotonin. It participates in essential biochemical reactions, especially those that yield energy. Also supports the production of adrenal hormones; the formation of healthy antibodies; and helps the body utilise other vitamins. Also assist in the manufacture of dopamine and tyramine, and involved in oxidation. B-2 helps the body to maintain healthy mucus membranes lining the respiratory, digestive, circulatory and excretory tracts when used in conjunction with vitamin A. This vitamin also helps preserve the integrity of the nervous system, skin and eyes.

B-3 ( Niacinamide) A critical vitamin for anti-stress, helping the body in general healing. It also assists to metabolize other nutrients for healthy digestion and nerves. This vitamin aids the body in maintaining normal skin function as well, releasing trapped sebum which can cause skin problems, and helps protect against pollutants and toxins that are known to cause premature signs of aging. Essential to proper brain metabolism, and as a coenzyme it assists in the breakdown and utilization of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

B-5 This vitamin, also important in protecting the body against stress, aids the body in the release of energy from carbohydrates. B-5 plays a number of essential metabolic roles, including the production of some hormones and neurotransmitters, and is involved in the metabolism of all carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Vitamin B-5, when used in conjunction with vitamin B-6 and vitamin C, assists the body in the relief of a runny and stuffed-up nose.

B-6 Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble nutrient that cannot be stored in the body, but must be obtained daily from either dietary sources or supplements. Vitamin B6 is an important nutrient that supports more vital bodily functions than any other vitamin. This is due to its role as a coenzyme involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Vitamin B6 is also responsible for the manufacture of hormones, red blood cells, neurotransmitters, enzymes and prostaglandins. B-6 is required for the production of neurotransmitters derived from amino acids such as serotonin, gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), norepinephrine, acetylcholine and histamine. It also regulates amino acid metabolism and is essential to healthy brain function. Reported to be effective in treating Autism, PMS and depression.

Folate- Folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 are involved in the sulfur amino acid cycle to keep proper synthesis in the cycle functioning properly. Diets deficient in vitamin B6, vitamin B12, or folate causes hyperhomocysteinemia (a cardiac risk factor and a leads to coagulation problems) and causes depletion of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe). A building block to the development of serotonin.

Adrenal Tissue: Adrenal tissue will aid in the bodies response system to stress. Adrenal tissue may help to restore dopamine activity, one of the vital hormones of the Hypothalamus.

As you may already know, certain nerve cells or neurons in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra die off or become impaired. Normally, these neurons produce an important brain chemical known as dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical messenger responsible for transmitting signals between the substantia nigra and the next "relay station" of the brain, the corpus striatum, to produce smooth, purposeful muscle activity. Loss of dopamine causes the nerve cells of the corpus striatum to fire out of control, leaving patients unable to direct or control their movements in a normal manner. Therefore we develop a tremor.

GregD

One is that our tremors are very rhythmic in terms of cycles per second. Another is our response to music or metronomes. Still another is that the success of DBS surgery results from stimulation to a specific frequency via electrodes. All this points to a rhythm component.

Our cells rely on an inner time keeping system built around individual oscillators synchronized by circadian adjustments each day.

So some aberration in that timing system would seem to be a good guess.

as a neurotransmitter in certain areas of the basal gangila, when insufficiently balanced by dopamine, may be one cause of the tremors and/or rigidity. I think that is the logic behind Neulologix's gene treatment of injecting the gene for the enzyme gultamate decarboxylase into this area. The action of this enzyme is to remove one of the carboxylate groups from the excess glutamate to form gamma-amino butyrate, or GABA, which acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter.

dear Randy - this is a how neurons work on youtube - from the Discovery channel...perhaps this will help you actually see it..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysDGX6bOgAw

What Greg said....

I have noticed that my tremors vary in intensity, frequency and even location(meaning the part of my body, not where I am at any given point in time) I have been able to connect certain tremors to specific stimulus (sp?) Sometimes it will pick up the rythmn of a piece of music, especially a strong drum beat. "Sugar shakes" are definitley the by-product of what I've eaten, and then of course there is stress -the mother of all tremor troublemakers. I did some reading on tremors way back when I first was diagnosed, then I made notes and observations. Ten years later all I can say is they are incredibly stubborn. I think there are many reasons, and I cannot correct the faulty wiring, so I just accept it and carry on down the road....