TS and ADHD, Page 12
Since haloperidol, along with other neuroleptic drugs later developed, represses dopamine reception, a common theory since that time has been that dopamine plays an important role in regard to the manifestation of TS symptoms, though the exact mechanism remains unclear. (Dopamine is a hormone and neurotransmitter that, among myriad other functions, plays an important role in motor activity; thus its telling link to TS symptoms.)
Various theories concerning what exactly is the abnormality concerning dopamine (and perhaps serotonin, another neurotransmitter synthesized within the central nervous system) have been advanced, ranging from overly-sensitive dopamine receptors to an overproduction of the hormone, though nothing definitive has yet been demonstrated.
Classifying TS as an organic (or physical) illness undisputedly has economic, political and psychological benefits. But is it true? I remain skeptical for reasons I shall put forth within this essay. (Note: At the end of this paper, I shall link to the online sources I cite.)
The following is a quote from an article entitled “Tourette’s Syndrome and Dopamine,” published by the Society for Neuroscience:
“Other research indicates that tics are related to higher than normal levels of dopamine production and use. Perhaps there is a larger than normal number of dopamine-producing brain cells. Maybe the individual cells have an abundance of sites, or terminals, that release dopamine.”
Or perhaps the theory confuses cause with effect.
In my two previous essays regarding TS presented on this website, I asserted that all mental afflictions once broadly classified as “neurotic,” including anxiety disorders, TS, OCD and ADHD, stem from the basic cause of “acute self-awareness” which engenders chronic anxiety which in turn is manifested by various symptoms in accordance with a patient’s individual pathology. An individual might exhibit symptoms of just one of these individual afflictions or any combination of them. Thus, TS is part of a broad spectrum of mental afflictions.
In the case of a person suffering from acute anxiety as exhibited by recurring panic attacks, what exactly causes his or her symptoms, such as an extremely rapid heartbeat and trembling? The answer is the neurotransmitter adrenaline (epinephrine). Can we then make the case that because adrenaline is responsible for the person’s symptoms that an elevated level of the hormone is the cause of the underlying condition per se? The answer is, of course, no. Instead, one must look for the reason why an infusion of adrenaline occurs during panic attacks. Click to continue:
