Summary
Hyperthyroid chorea is felt to be related to an increased response of striatal dopamine receptors to dopamine. This suggestion is supported by the observation that an agent which blocks dopamine receptors improved chorea in a hyperthyroid patient. An inverse relationship between thyroid status and brain dopamine turnover as estimated by CSF HVA levels was demonstrated. This observation suggests that hyperthyroidism increases the sensitivity of dopamine receptors to dopamine. This is the first example of increased receptor site sensitivity in the brain unassociated with a known structural lesion. An analogous mechanism is felt to be related to Huntington's chorea, but in this disease the increased receptor site response is due to structural alterations of the diseased neuron.
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Klawans, H.L., Shenker, D.M. Observations on the dopaminergic nature of hyperthyroid chorea. J. Neural Transmission 33, 73–81 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01244729
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01244729