By: Charlene N.

Rivera Bonet RISE Program Summer 2012

Objectives
Analyze if there is a hormone-dopamine relation. (Specially testosterone) Help to find new ways to treat Tourette s syndrome.

Intoduction
What is Tourettes Syndrome?
Involuntary, unusual movements or sounds, tics. Theory of excessive amount of dopamine produced.

Introduction
Statistics
More common in men than in women. Twice as common among teenagers as among children.

Introduction
Comparison

Parkinson Trembling Is more common in men than in women. Men 50 or more. Neurons that make dopamine die or do not work properly.

What is dopamine?

Neurotransmissor produced in the basal ganglia.

http://imueos.wordpress.com/page/7/

What is dopamine?
Regulates: -movement -emotion (also affected by hormones) -motivation -pleasure

Hypothesis

Hormone levels can interfere with dopamine production.

Why?
One of the most remarkable differences between men and women are hormones. Tourettes syndrome is diagnosed in teenagers in a higher rate. Stage in which hormones are raging.

Methodology
Experimental Group -16 men with Tourettes Syndrome 4 children (6-11) 8 teenagers (12-17) 4 adults (18 & up) -16 women with Tourettes Syndrome 4 children 8 teenagers 4 adults

Methodology
Control Group -16 men without Tourettes Syndrome 4 children 8 teenagers 4 adults -16 women without Tourettes Syndrome 4 children 8 teenagers 4 adults

Methodology
Similar life styles. Measure levels of bio-available testosterone and estrogen. Measure dopamine production through DaT Scan. Institutional Review Board (IRB) consent and assent pages will be needed.

Expected Results
Men with higher levels of testosterone will have a greater dopamine production, men with low levels of testosterone will have less dopamine production. Tourettes Syndrome patients will have above normal testosterone levels, consequently a higher rate of dopamine production.

References

Feldman R., Meyer J., Quenzer L. 1997. Principles of Neuropsychopharmacology. Sinaucer Associates, Inc. p 288301 Tourettes Syndrome Data & Statistics. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 2012. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/tourette/data.html Mason P.A., Bhaskaran D. In Vivo Microdialysis. KOPF Carrier. October 1988. Available from http://www.kopfinstruments.com/Carrier/downloads/Carrier20. pdf Tourettes Syndrome. Genetics Home Reference. May 2008. Available from http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/tourettesyndrome Bioavailable Testosterone - Physician Overview. Life Labs Medical Laboratory Servince. Available from http://www.lifelabs.com/Lifelabs_ON/Patients/TestInfo/Special/ Malemenopause.asp
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

http://us.datscan.com/

Thank You for your Attention!