Coexistence of tics and parkinsonism: evidence for non-dopaminergic mechanisms in tic pathogenesis

Neurology. 1997 Dec;49(6):1699-701. doi: 10.1212/wnl.49.6.1699.

Abstract

We report four patients with tics since childhood who presented with typical Parkinson's disease (PD). No alteration in tics occurred before or during the development of symptoms. L-Dopa/carbidopa therapy in three patients improved parkinsonism without worsening tics over 3 months to 11 years of follow-up. Our experience fails to support hypotheses exclusively emphasizing overactivity of dopaminergic function underlying tics that would predict that PD would reduce and L-dopa exacerbate tics. This emphasizes the role of other neurotransmitter systems in the pathophysiology of tics.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Carbidopa / therapeutic use
  • Dopamine / physiology*
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Levodopa / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parkinson Disease / complications*
  • Parkinson Disease / drug therapy
  • Parkinson Disease / physiopathology
  • Tic Disorders / complications*
  • Tic Disorders / etiology
  • Tic Disorders / physiopathology
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Levodopa
  • Carbidopa
  • Dopamine