Tourette syndrome is a common, hereditary behavioral disorder that provides enormous insight into how we and our children behave and misbehave, why some of us can't read, learn, or pay attention, compulsively do things including over eating and abusing drugs, alcohol, spouses and children, are angry, short-tempered, anxious, afraid, depressed, or feel different and all alone. This book is written for both the general reader and the health or education professional as a guide to the exciting world of the genetics and chemistry of behavior.

This 828 page book is packed with information on all aspects of Tourette syndrome, the diagnosis; chapters on ADHD, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, conduct disorder, learning disorders and dyslexia, sexual problems, phobias, anxiety attacks, depression, mood swings, addictive behaviors (alcoholism, drug abuse, compulsive eating with obesity), sleep and other problems; genetics; structure and chemistry of the brain, role of dopamine and serotonin in behavior; detailed chapters on all the medications used and their side effects; psychological treatment and school problems.

Reviews

"The excitment of Tourette Syndrome and Human Behavior is a result not only of its insights into Tourette syndrome but of their relevance to our understanding human behavior and neuropsychiatric disturbance. The implications for the behavioral sciences and the practice of adult and child psychiatry are profound. This voume is highly recommended for all students of human behavior."
--Jeffrey Sverd, M.D.Director, Inpatient Psychiatry, Sagamore Children's Hosptal, Sagamore, N.Y.

"This book is remarkable in its scope and most importantly, well written and easily readable. It will be very useful to a wide variety of professionals including physicians, nurses, special educators, psychologists, patients and parents. I highly recommend it to persons interested in learning more about Tourette syndrome and human behavior in general.
-- Larry Burd, Ph.D.Medical Center Rehabilitation Hospital, University of North Dakota

"A masterful production that should be read by every professional engaged in medical practice, psychiatry, nursing or special education....invaluable for patients and their families."
-- Health and Nutrition Review

"Best Healthbook of the Year"
-- North American Book Dealers Exchange

"A masterbook"
-- J. Lejuene Annuals Genetique

Contents

• PART I - INTRODUCTION

1. The Spectrum of Tourette Syndrome
2. Gilles de la Tourette
3. The Diagnosis
4. The Motor Tics
5. The Vocal Tics
6. The Swearing
7. Characteristics of the Tics

• PART II - GENETICS

8. A Very Brief Course in Genetics
9. Pedigrees
10. Types of Inheritance
11. The Genetics of Tourette Syndrome
12. Are Girls Smarter than Boys?
13. Linkage and DNA Markers

• PART III - BEHAVIOR

1. What's Wrong with My Son?
2. A Controlled Study of Tourette Syndrome
3. Attention Deficit Disorder
4. The Genetics of Attention Deficit Disorder
5. ADHD Children Grown Up
6. ADHD in Adults
7. ADHD in Tourette Syndrome
8. Learning Disorders and Dyslexia
9. Obsessions, Compulsions, and Repetitive Actions
10. Conduct - A Mother's Story
11. Conduct
12. The Genetics of Bad Conduct
13. Sex and Exhibitionism
14. Phobias
15. Panic attacks
16. Depression
17. Mania and Manic Depressive Disorder
18. Schizoid Behaviors
19. The Symptoms and Genetics of Schizophrenia
20. Autism
21. Borderline Personality - Life on the Edge of Sanity
22. Alcoholism - Born to Drink?
23. Obesity - Born to Eat?
24. Pathological Gambling
25. Periodic Behaviors in Tourette Syndrome
26. Bedwetting and Soiling - Enuresis and Encopresis
27. Sleep Problems
28. Excesive Drinking of Fluids - Polydipsia
29. ADHD Secondary to a TS Gene
30. Physical and Sexual Abuse
31. Homozygotes, Selective Bias and Gene Selection
32. Miscellaneous Features
33. The Positive Features of Tourette Syndrome

• PART IV - THE CAUSE

47. The Anatomy of the Brain
48. Communication between Nerves-The Neurotransmitters
49. The Limbic System
50. Memory and Learning
51. The Prefrontal Cortex and Frontal Lobe Syndromes
52. Dopamine - The Regulator of Motor Activity
53. Dopamine Receptors
54. Dopamine and Human Behavior
55. Dopamine and Animal Behavior
56. Dopamine and the Frontal Lobes
57. Dopamine and Tourette Syndrome
58. Norepinephrine - The Modulator
59. Serotonin - The Great Inhibitor
60. Serotonin Receptors
61. Serotonin and Human Behavior
62. Serotonin and Animal Behavior
63. Serotonin and Tourette Syndrome
64. Is Tryptophan the Key?
65. GABA - Another Great Inhibitor
66. Opium, Opiates, and Endorphins
67. Autism Again - Causes
68. The Dance of the Neurotransmitters
69. The Semidominant Inheritance of Tourette Syndrome
70. Personality
71. Pleasure and Addiction

• PART V - TREATMENT

1. Pedigrees
2. How Common is Tourette Syndrome?
3. The Natural History of Tourette Syndrome
4. Some Sample Pedigrees
5. Chaos and Human Behavior
6. Controlled Family Studies
7. Why is the Diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome Often Missed?
8. Will My Child Have Tourette Syndrome?
9. Genetic versus Psychological Causes
10. The Cortex and the Subcortex. The Superego and the Id
11. Ethical Issues
12. The Cloning of Tryptophan Oxygenase
13. Closing the Logic Loop

• PART VII - SUMMARY
• PART VIII - GLOSSARY
• PART IX - BIBLIOGRAPHY
• PART X - APPENDIX
• PART XI - INDEX