Cocaine and Tourette's Syndrome

To the Editor: Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome consists of multifocal motor tics (mostly in the face and neck), sudden vocalizations (ranging from throat clearing to coprolalia), and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The condition is far more common in males and characteristically begins in childhood or adolescence. The low levels of dopamine metabolites in the cerebrospinal fluid in Tourette's syndrome are thought to reflect an underlying receptor hypersensitivity to dopaminergic transmission within the central nervous system.¹ This may explain why the most effective treatments for the tics and vocalizations are based on the administration of dopamine antagonists such as haloperidol. In keeping., No extract is available for articles shorter than 400 words.