Essential tremor is best described as which type of tremor?

• A. Postural Tremor
• B. Resting Tremor
• C. Intention Tremor
• D. Orthostatic Tremor

Answer: (A)

Tremor type here is determined by when the tremor shows up. Essential tremor is best understood as an action tremor—that is, it appears when you hold a limb in a posture or perform a movement. This makes it a postural (and often kinetic) tremor, rather than one that is present at rest.

Contrast helps: resting tremor occurs when the limb is relaxed, a pattern typical of Parkinson disease; intention tremor (cerebellar) worsens as you approach a target during purposeful movement; orthostatic tremor happens in the legs when standing still. So the tremor that best fits essential tremor is the postural type, since it appears when maintaining posture and during movement, not at rest.