Heightened cortisol response to administration of naloxone in tourette's syndrome

Reuven Sandyk, Colin R. Bamford

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

The release of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) in the human has been shown to be under a direct inhibitory control derived from the locus coeruleus (LC). Opioids have been shown to inhibit CRF release. Based on our hypothesis of deranged opioid-noradrenergic activity in Tourette's syndrome (TS), we studied the effect of a naloxone challenge on plasma cortisol levels in 6 TS patients. In all patients naloxone produced a significant rise in cortisol secretion. These results support our hypothesis and suggest that in TS, noradrenergic LC receptors involved in CRF release are supersensitive as a result of chronic excessive endorphinergic activity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)225-227
Number of pages3
JournalInternational Journal of Neuroscience
Volume39
Issue number3-4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1988

Keywords

  • CRF
  • Cortisol
  • Locus coeruleus
  • Naloxone
  • Noradrenaline
  • Opioids
  • Tourette's syndrome

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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