Tourette Updates

Gene Found for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Thu Oct 23, 1:01 PM ET


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and Japanese researchers said on
Thursday they had found a genetic mutation that causes obsessive-
compulsive disorder and other mental illnesses and said some
patients had a second mutation that made their conditions worse.

The rare finding could make it easier to discover good treatments
for the disorder, one of the top 10 leading causes of disability
worldwide.

Dr. Norio Ozaki of Fujita Health University School of Medicine in
Toyoake, Japan and colleagues at several U.S. institutions --
including the University of Pittsburgh and Yale University -- worked
on the study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

The gene is called the human serotonin transporter gene, hSERT, and
helps control how the body uses serotonin, a message-carrying
chemical or neurotransmitter linked with mood.

Some anxiety drugs and antidepressants target serotonin, but the
researchers said patients with the mutations are not helped by these
drugs.

"In all of molecular medicine, there are few known instances where
two variants within one gene have been found to alter the expression
and regulation of the gene in a way that appears associated with
symptoms of a disorder," said Dr. Dennis Murphy of the National
Institute of Mental Health, who worked on the study.

The researchers analyzed DNA from 170 people, including 30 patients
with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), 30 with eating disorders
such as anorexia and 30 with seasonal affective disorder -- which
can cause depression and other symptoms in dark winter months.

They also looked at the DNA of 80 healthy people.

A specific mutation in the hSERT gene was seen in two patients with
OCD and their families, but not in other patients.

With such a rare mutation showing up, the researchers believe it is
likely to be found in other families with OCD and related disorders.

They interviewed relatives of the patients and found 6 of the 7
people with the mutation had an obsessive-compulsive disorder, and
some also had anorexia, Asperger's syndrome, which is a form of
autism, social phobia or were abusers of alcohol.

A second mutation was found in hSERT in two patients, giving them
a "double dose." The patients and their siblings had especially
difficult to treat versions of OCD, the researchers said.

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Quetiapine treatment in a patient with Tourette's syndrome,
obsessive-compulsive disorder and drug-induced mania.

Matur Z, Ucok A.

University of Istanbul, Faculty of Medicine, Department of
Neurology, Istanbul, Turkey.

A young man with a 13 year history of Tourette disorder and
obsessive-compulsive disorder developed mania on clomipramine.
Quetiapine 600 mg, daily was followed by resolution of the mania and
improvement of the symptoms of Tourette disorder and obsessive
compulsive disorder. It seems that quetiapine may be useful in
treatment of Tourette disorder with or without comorbid disorders.

PMID: 14509206 [PubMed - in process]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?
cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14509206&dopt=Abstract&itool=iconabs
tr

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TOURETTE SYNDROME ASSOCIATION ADDS DYNAMIC ADVOCATE

Longtime TSA Volunteer Appointed as Advocacy Specialist

Bayside, NY, October 1, 2003 – Kathy Giordano has joined the
national Tourette Syndrome Association as TSA's Advocacy Specialist.
The appointment was announced by Judit Ungar, president of the
association.

Giordano, whose son has TS, will be based out of her upstate NY
residence and will be responsible for developing and implementing a
comprehensive program promoting advocacy activities on behalf of
people and families affected by TS. She will also address
constituent concerns and train chapter-based and other individuals
in advocacy skills and strategies. Giordano will work to expand
TSA's advocacy services and activities to underserved populations
and coordinate advocacy programs with government and other health-
related and support organizations. An increased web presence is also
expected, as TSA plans to mount a dedicated advocacy section and
offer an "Ask the Experts" feature. This will enable constituents to
submit questions and concerns for discussion and support online at

http://tsa-usa.org.

- more -

2

Giordano is a longtime TSA advocate who served as the volunteer
Advocacy Committee Chairperson from 2002, and as a Board Member of
the Greater Rochester TSA chapter in NY from 1986 to 1989, where she
remains an active member.

Giordano also serves on the Finger Lakes DDSO Consumer Council,
Monroe Mental Health Education Advocacy Coalition and the RIT School
Psychologist Community Advisory Board.

Marked by involuntary twitching and vocal tics, TS is an inherited,
neurobiological disorder frequently misunderstood and misdiagnosed,
affecting more than 200,000 Americans. TSA is a national voluntary
organization that directs a network of 45 chapters and more than 300
support groups across the country. For more information on TS, call
1-888-4-touret or visit www.tsa-usa.org.


Kathy Giordano
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