Eye tremor could be first sign of Parkinson's

A study has shown that minute eye tremor is highly suggestive of Parkinsons and visible even before any other signs of the disease.

112 patients with Parkinson's were tested, including newly diagnosed cases and some not yet on medication, demonstrated tiny rapid eye movements when attempting to look at a target. These movements are so small they could only be seen with specialist equipment but could explain why some people with Parkinson's complain of blurred vision without an obvious cause for this.

The same eye tremor was seen in only two of 60 control subjects showing the power of this sign to accurate differentiate those who have the condition from those who don't.

Further research is being carried out into how this test could be included as part of a routine eye exam particularly for those with a family history of Parkinson's.