SCHOOLBOY Neil Preston is hoping doctors can find a cure for a disorder which leaves him shaking uncontrollably.

The 15-year-old, (pictured right) who lives with his parents Ken and Linda and brother Edward, 18, in Alder Close, Moss Side, Leyland, has a neurological disorder called Essential Tremor (ET) which means his hands and arms constantly tremble.

Although it is more commonly seen in older people, ET can begin at birth and affected Neil from the age of 10 when he began to find it difficult to concentrate on his schoolwork.

He became frustrated because of the effort he had to put into steadying his hand to write and simple tasks like tying shoelaces and fastening buttons became very difficult to carry out.

Neil, a pupil at Bishop Rawstorne Language College in Croston, was able to continue his studies because the school gave him a laptop computer.

But practical subjects such as woodwork and cooking were, he said, "just disasters waiting to happen".

He keeps up his morale by joking: "I do have my uses - such as shaking ketchup bottles!"

But although he tries to stay positive, Neil sometimes gets upset when he can't do all the things his friends do and he worries about showing them up.

His mum, who has two other sons, Stuart, 27, and Mark, 25, said none of her other sons were affected and doctors have no idea why Neil has ET.

He is due to sit five GCSEs next summer and Linda said the family did not know what Neil would have done without non-teaching assistant Hilary Yates, who helps him with chemistry and science studies. Essential Tremor does not discriminate between age, gender and race and is the UK's most common movement disorder. It is often misdiagnosed as either stress or the onset of Parkinson's Disease, partly due to similarities in symptoms.

On August 28 an ET awareness event takes place in London and Neil and his parents are hoping to attend if they can make transport arrangements.

Patients, neurologists and other medical professionals will hear about the condition, the problem of misdiagnosis and the treatments available.

Although there is no known cure for ET, some patients may benefit from a revolutionary treatment pioneered in the United States -- Deep Brain Stimulation -- which dramatically reduces the symptoms and a range of drugs are available.

But it is estimated that up to 50 per cent do not respond well to medication.