More first-degree relatives of patients with essential tremor (FD-ET) had low Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores when compared with age-matched controls (Co), a recent study found. Therefore, it provides additional support for the scientific notions that 1) cognitive difficulties are a disease-associated feature of ET and 2) there may be a pre-tremor phase of illness in ET. We administered the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to 156 FD-ET and 73 Co, none of whom were diagnosed with ET or reported tremor. MoCA <26 was considered suggestive of cognitive impairment. Researchers found:

• FD-ET and Co were similar with respect to age (60.1 ± 8.3 vs.60.9 ± 7.4 years) and numerous demographic factors.
• FD-ET and Co also had similar MoCA scores; however, 34 of 156 (21.8%) FD-ET had a MoCA score <26 vs only 5 (6.9%) of 73 Co.
• In a univariate logistic regression model, FD-ET were 3.79 times more likely to have a low (<26) MoCA than were Co (odds ratio = 3.79).

In a multivariate logistic regression model, adjusting for age and other covariates, FD-ET were 4.83 times more likely to have a low MoCA than were Co (odds ratio = 4.83).