Huntington Disease and Tourette Syndrome
Various
tremors (rhythmic oscillations around a joint), tics (repetitive,
sudden, coordinated, abnormal movements), and chorea (irregular, unpredictable,
involuntary muscle jerks) are components of disorders of coordinated movement.
Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (which includes involuntary verbal outbursts) is
a disorder of unknown cause. Current therapy consists primarily of haloperidol
and other dopamine D2 receptor antagonists. Huntington disease is a
dominantly inherited disorder characterized
by progressive chorea and dementia. It is typically associated
with an adult onset and a shortened lifespan. GABA and enzymes for ACh and GABA
synthesis are deficient in the basal ganglia of patients with Huntington
disease. Current therapy consists usually of aminedepleting drugs, such as
tetrabenazine, or haloperidol or other dopamine D2 receptor
antagonists. Hypotension, depression, sedation, restlessness, and parkinsonism
are the most common adverse drug effects.
