The association between motor and non-motor symptoms in essential tremor patients being evaluated for deep brain stimulation surgery

•Among ET patients, overall tremor scores were associated with language function.•Elevated Fahn-Tolosa-Marin (FTM) scores correlated with increased severity in depression, language impairment, and visuospatial functioning.•Washington Heights Inwood Genetic Study of Essential Tremor (WHIGET) scores showed no association with any non-motor symptoms. Non-motor symptoms, including depression and cognitive impairment, are common in essential tremor (ET), but associations between these symptoms and tremor are poorly understood. A retrospective, single-institution, cohort study evaluated 140 patients with ET undergoing evaluation for deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. The Fahn-Tolosa-Marin (FTM) or Washington Heights-Inwood Genetic Study of ET (WHIGET) scale was used to grade tremor. Tremor scores were divided into quartiles. Patients underwent clinical neuropsychological evaluations that included a comprehensive cognitive test battery and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Subgroup analysis was performed with groups who met criteria for depression (BDI-II > 14) or overall cognitive impairment (