Sleep disorders in tourette's syndrome

Reuven Sandyk, Colin R. Bamford, Robert P. Iacono

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Sleep disorders have been reported in approximately 80% of Tourette's syndrome (TS) patients. Sleep studies in TS patients have demonstrated a 30% reduction in delta-sleep (slow-wave sleep) in nontreated subjects, decreased percentage of REM-sleep and the presence of tics during sleep. A subgroup of young TS patients was reported to have an increased percentage of delta sleep. Although these findings were initially thought to result from deranged dopaminergic and serotoninergic functions in TS, we suggest that abnormalities of hypothalamic-mediated control mechanisms involving the intrinsic opioids may also account for the observed derangements in sleep-wave patterns in TS patients. Evidence for impaired hypothalamic regulation in TS patients includes our preliminary observations of abnormal growthhormone release to administration of the opiate antagonist naloxone in TS. These data further suggest an interrelationship of neurochemical mechanisms involving opioid-mediated hyperactivity, slow-wave sleep and growth hormone at the level of the hypothalamus.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)59-65
Number of pages7
JournalInternational Journal of Neuroscience
Volume37
Issue number1-2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1987

Keywords

  • Growth-hormone
  • Hypothalamus
  • Naloxone
  • Sleep disorders
  • Tourette's syndrome

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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