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Wagle Shukla A, Lunny C, Mahboob O, Khalid U, Joyce M, Jha N, Nagaraja N, Shukla AM. Tremor Induced by Cyclosporine, Tacrolimus, Sirolimus, or Everolimus: A Review of the Literature. Drugs R D 2023; 23:301-329. [PMID: 37606750 PMCID: PMC10676343 DOI: 10.1007/s40268-023-00428-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcineurin inhibitors such as cyclosporine and tacrolimus are immunosuppressant drugs that are known to induce tremors. Non-calcineurin inhibitors such as sirolimus and everolimus have also reportedly been accompanied by tremors, albeit less likely. However, the prevalence rates reported in the literature are notably wide, and the risk profiles for these drug-induced tremors are less understood. We searched PubMed to extract data on the risk of tremors with these drugs when prescribed for various transplant and non-transplant indications. We ascertained whether the risk of drug-induced tremor is influenced by the underlying diagnosis, dosing formulations, drug concentrations, and blood monitoring. We extracted data on treatment strategies and outcomes for tremors. Articles were primarily screened based on English language publications, abstracts, and studies with n ≥ 5, which included case series, retrospective studies, case-controlled studies, and prospective studies. We found 81 eligible studies comprising 33 cyclosporine, 43 tacrolimus, 6 sirolimus, and 1 everolimus that discussed tremor as an adverse event. In the pooled analysis of studies with n > 100, the incidence of tremor was 17% with cyclosporine, 21.5% with tacrolimus, and 7.8% with sirolimus and everolimus together. Regarding the underlying diagnosis, tremor was more frequently reported in kidney transplant (cyclosporine 28%, tacrolimus 30.1%) and bone marrow transplant (cyclosporine 40%, tacrolimus 41.9%) patients compared with liver transplant (cyclosporine 9%, tacrolimus 11.5%) and nontransplant indications (cyclosporine 21.5%, tacrolimus 11.3%). Most studies did not report whether the risk of tremors correlated with drug concentrations in the blood. The prevalence of tremors when using the twice-daily formulation of tacrolimus was nearly the same as the once-daily formulation (17% vs 18%). Data on individual-level risk factors for tremors were lacking. Except for three studies that found some benefit to maintaining magnesium levels, there were minimal data on treatments and outcomes. A large body of data supports a substantive and wide prevalence of tremor resulting from tacrolimus use followed by cyclosporine, especially in patients receiving a kidney transplant. However, there is little reporting on the patient-related risk factors for tremor, risk relationship with drug concentrations, treatment strategies, and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparna Wagle Shukla
- Department of Neurology, Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Fixel Institute for Neurological Disorders, 3009 Williston Road, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA.
| | - Caroline Lunny
- Department of Neurology, Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Fixel Institute for Neurological Disorders, 3009 Williston Road, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
| | - Omar Mahboob
- Florida State University Medical School, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Uzair Khalid
- University of Toronto Medical School, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Malea Joyce
- North Florida South Georgia Veteran Healthcare System, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Nivedita Jha
- Department of Neurology, Tower Health, Reading Hospital, Reading, PA, USA
| | - Nandakumar Nagaraja
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Ashutosh M Shukla
- North Florida South Georgia Veteran Healthcare System, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Matthews LG, Puryear CB, Correia SS, Srinivasan S, Belfort GM, Pan MK, Kuo SH. T-type calcium channels as therapeutic targets in essential tremor and Parkinson's disease. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2023; 10:462-483. [PMID: 36738196 PMCID: PMC10109288 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal action potential firing patterns are key components of healthy brain function. Importantly, restoring dysregulated neuronal firing patterns has the potential to be a promising strategy in the development of novel therapeutics for disorders of the central nervous system. Here, we review the pathophysiology of essential tremor and Parkinson's disease, the two most common movement disorders, with a focus on mechanisms underlying the genesis of abnormal firing patterns in the implicated neural circuits. Aberrant burst firing of neurons in the cerebello-thalamo-cortical and basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuits contribute to the clinical symptoms of essential tremor and Parkinson's disease, respectively, and T-type calcium channels play a key role in regulating this activity in both the disorders. Accordingly, modulating T-type calcium channel activity has received attention as a potentially promising therapeutic approach to normalize abnormal burst firing in these diseases. In this review, we explore the evidence supporting the theory that T-type calcium channel blockers can ameliorate the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying essential tremor and Parkinson's disease, furthering the case for clinical investigation of these compounds. We conclude with key considerations for future investigational efforts, providing a critical framework for the development of much needed agents capable of targeting the dysfunctional circuitry underlying movement disorders such as essential tremor, Parkinson's disease, and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Corey B Puryear
- Praxis Precision Medicines, Boston, Massachusetts, 02110, USA
| | | | - Sharan Srinivasan
- Praxis Precision Medicines, Boston, Massachusetts, 02110, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
| | | | - Ming-Kai Pan
- Department and Graduate Institute of Pharmacology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, 10002, Taiwan.,Cerebellar Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin, 64041, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Han Kuo
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10032, USA.,Initiative for Columbia Ataxia and Tremor, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10032, USA
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Phenomenology and Physiology of Tacrolimus Induced Tremor. Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y) 2023; 13:2. [PMID: 36818753 PMCID: PMC9912847 DOI: 10.5334/tohm.725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Tacrolimus is a potent immunosuppressant drug commonly used after solid organ transplant surgery. The use of this drug is frequently associated with the emergence of tremors. There is little information on the clinical and physiological characteristics of tacrolimus-induced tremors. Characterizing these tremors is essential as they can promote the development of specific therapies. Methods We describe four patients placed on tacrolimus immunosuppressant therapy following kidney transplant surgery and who developed tremors impacting their daily functional activities. We describe the clinical and physiological characteristics of the tremor and the response generated after a limb cooling test. Results A postural and kinetic tremor mainly involving the distal hands was observed in our cohort. In the accelerometer-based assessment, the tremor amplitude was noted to be mild to moderate, and the frequency was 5-6 Hz. Cooling the forearm and the hand led to a temporary albeit significant reduction of tremor amplitude (p = 0.03). Limb cooling lowered the tremor frequency by 1 Hz in two patients with no change in the other two patients, and the statistical comparison was not significant (p > 0.05). Conclusions Limb cooling may be pursued as a therapeutic option for addressing tacrolimus-induced tremor, as the patients in our cohort benefitted from temporary tremor suppression.
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Kuo SH, Louis ED. The future of pharmacotherapies for essential tremor: Enhancing GABA neurotransmission or reducing neuronal hyperexcitability? INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 163:311-315. [PMID: 36172063 PMCID: PMC9512121 DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7742(22)00061-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Han Kuo
- Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Initiative for Columbia Ataxia and Tremor, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Elan D Louis
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
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