Humans can experience tremors daily. As many of these tremors are so slight, they can quickly go unnoticed as we do not always see or feel them happening. However, noticeable tremors could be signs of anxiety, fatigue, too much caffeine, or even a medical condition such as essential tremor or Parkinson’s disease. Scientists engage in animal tremor monitoring to understand more about what causes tremors and how they can be managed. This blog post will look at how relevant animal tremor monitoring is to understanding human tremor disorders.
Why is Animal Tremor Monitoring Used?
Although tremors are extremely common, the pathophysiology of tremors is not entirely understood, and further research is required to gain a more comprehensive understanding of it as a disorder. There are several forms of tremor, but the three main types include essential tremor (ET), dystonic tremor (DT) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Tremor is a movement disorder that involves involuntary muscle contractions. This typically occurs in the hands but can also happen in the arms, head, legs and vocal chords1.
Animal tremor monitoring is crucial for understanding the different types of tremors and their clinical features2. Animal models assist scientists in the research and development of treatment and therapy for tremor-related disorders. However, because tremor is not a condition but rather a symptom, animal models are used to identify symptoms of a disease. Although tremors are not life-threatening, they can cause significant inconveniences to people suffering from them and can severely impact their daily activities. Hand tremors alone can affect daily living both short and long-term, thus making it vital for more research to be carried out.
What Equipment is Used in Animal Tremor Monitoring?
As previously mentioned, some tremors can be difficult or impossible to spot in humans and therefore require precision equipment to identify tremors in animal models. A tremor monitor is used for tremor studies in rats and mice and will enable scientists to record, review and analyze tremors and produce reports.
At San Diego Instruments, we have developed a tremor monitoring system that is ideal for use with animal models. It comprises an ultra-sensitive movement sensor that can differentiate between tremors and ambulatory/stereotyped movements and can continuously record for more than 68 minutes. Key features of the SDI tremor monitor include integrated software, the option to run up to 8 tests simultaneously and comprehensive reporting.
The benefits of using SDI’s tremor monitor are that it is an easy-to-use piece of equipment that allows for continuous monitoring and recording. It is an ideal instrument that makes laboratory research more accurate and efficient and offers customizable options to enhance its applications.
San Diego Instruments have been manufacturing life science equipment for over 30 years. We are dedicated to providing the scientific community with tools to further advance behavior neuroscience research in animal and human subjects. If you are interested in purchasing a tremor monitor or require more information about animal tremor monitoring, get in touch with a team member today.