Dopamine regulation through exercise - Tourette's Syndrome Treatment
So, I have a son who has been diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome.
This expresses itself through involuntary motor function (shrugging of the left shoulder) and then progresses into what is known as Coprolalia, which in his case is an unwanted expression of socially inappropriate speech and actions.
From my limited understanding in researching this, his brain is not producing the required level of dopamine, and the resulting outcome is the tic, then the behavior.
I'm taking a shot in the dark here, but I know there are many very well-educated and highly intelligent individuals on this site.
Can anyone walk me through dopamine production due to physical exercise, specifically weightlifting or cardio?
He's only 7 years old and I'm looking for any help, experience, or advice I can get.
- Bookmark
- 0
- 0
I dont have any advice for you. But now i can't get the tourrettes girl form Deuce Bigalow Male Gigalo out of my head.
Shit! Shit whore! Big big tiities!
Yea, that's not how it actually manifests in real life.
anvilFrom some articles I have read (medical not Redditt)
Dopamine release is increased during exercise (looks like it can be any kind including sports). One of the factors is that in successful cases the exercise was voluntary, otherwise stress would have the opposite affect on the patient. During the time you are active it increases release of dopamine, and in patients that did it consistently it stayed elevated in some cases even during non active times.
But the release is not regulating it, just releasing it so, it may increase what causes him to have the tic in the first place.
I believe the medications used to combat this inhibit dopamine release so I am don't really know if this can help your son.
Best of lock in your research, if I can assist in any way possible that helps you or him I am willing to put in the time.
I appreciate it. The specialist who diagnosed him doesn't want to go the medication route at his age. The thought is that it will decrease as he grows into his teenage years and be less noticeable on his own. There are a few years until he reaches that age and I'm trying to see if it could work as a potential behavioral change mechanism to manage the condition and also put him on a good path for self discipline.
anvilPersonally, in your position I would do it.
My father in law has recently had success with haloperidol and relaxation techniques. Went from screaming "Jesus christ , shit" pretty much every five minutes to basically never. He didnt have tics but I have delt with those , my seizure medication locosamide stopped my seizures completely and the tics as well. Shoulder would always drop on one side head would tilt that same direction and Id sometimes make a nois3 doing it. If you remember Rocco's modern life it was almost exactly Mrs wolf .
So, I don’t know too much about Tourette's but my understanding is that the mechanism behind the tics is basically unknown and probably is due anatomically to a disruption is the nerve impulses from the basal ganglia to the frontal cortex. I do remember a theory that lack of histamine or histamine receptors might play a role but never heard of the dopamine connection. This is just stuff I learned in neuroanatomy so I would trust whatever specialist you talk to says more. I also think that exercise can’t hurt and it does release dopamine although I’m not sure on the exact mechanism of that either. The good news, and one thing that I know for sure about Tourette’s, is that it is extremely uncommon for the tics to continue into adulthood except in a highly diminished, minor way. I’ve known a few adults with Tourette’s and they either grew out of it or would have a minor tic only occasionally. I hope your son grows out of it and I feel for you and your family. It must be very worrying.
I also can’t help but add that coprolalia literally translates to “shit talking” which is something a lot of people who don’t even have Tourette’s seem to be afflicted with these days.
The most common interpretation of coprolalia is related to vulgarity, sexual speech, and racial degradation. This is heavily influenced by public concepts of Tourette’s through media sensationalism.
His actually expresses itself in screaming, disobedience verbally, minor foul language (he’s only 7) and resultant physical disobedience (not violence).
My thoughts were that he’s actually experiencing stress, resulting in anxiety, then the tic, then the negative social behaviors due to not having fulfilled emotional needs due to incorrect dopamine balances.
He acts out, receives attention, gets the release of dopamine reward.
I’m trying to look into weightlifting as a cognitive behavioral therapy treatment to create new patterns to react to the initial stress.
I wish the best for you and your family. I think weightlifting is worth a shot seeing as it’s completely non-invasive and even if it doesn’t treat the Tourette’s it’ll set him up for success later in life.