Article
A neurobiological model for Tourette syndrome centered on the nucleus accumbens
Registro en:
BRITO, G. N. O. A neurobiological model for Tourette syndrome centered on the nucleus accumbens. Medical Hypotheses, Edinburgh, v. 49, n. 2, p. 133-142, aug. 1997.
10.1016/S0306-9877(97)90218-8,
Autor
Brito, G. N. O.
Resumen
This paper was presented at the 25th
Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, 1995. FUNPENE, CNPq Tourette syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by chronic multiple motor
and vocal tics with a fluctuating course and modulated by internal and external
environmental events. Tourette syndrome is more prevalent in males than females, and is
associated with behavioural disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder. Tourette syndrome symptoms are commonly attenuated by
dopaminergic antagonists and adrenergic agonists, and usually exacerbated by
psychostimulants.
In this paper, I propose that dysfunction centered on the nucleus accumbens represents the
neurobiological basis of Tourette syndrome. Recent evidence indicates that nucleus
accumbens has a micro-organization characterized by modules of distinct neurochemical and
neuroanatomical features.
Our model assumes that external and internal events occurring during the development of
the nervous system interact with products derived from the expression of the putative gene
for Tourette syndrome, thereby inducing modular changes in nucleus accumbens. The clinical
presentation, associated behavioural disturbances and response to drugs would depend on
the pattern of modular dysfunction.