Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Revision as of 16:31, 7 August 2011 by Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan (talk | contribs)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Jumping Frenchmen of Maine
OMIM 244100

WikiDoc Resources for Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Articles

Most recent articles on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Most cited articles on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Review articles on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Articles on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ

Media

Powerpoint slides on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Images of Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Photos of Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Podcasts & MP3s on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Videos on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Evidence Based Medicine

Cochrane Collaboration on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Bandolier on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

TRIP on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Clinical Trials

Ongoing Trials on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine at Clinical Trials.gov

Trial results on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Clinical Trials on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine at Google

Guidelines / Policies / Govt

US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

NICE Guidance on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

NHS PRODIGY Guidance

FDA on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

CDC on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Books

Books on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

News

Jumping Frenchmen of Maine in the news

Be alerted to news on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

News trends on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Commentary

Blogs on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Definitions

Definitions of Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Patient Resources / Community

Patient resources on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Discussion groups on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Patient Handouts on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Directions to Hospitals Treating Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Risk calculators and risk factors for Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Healthcare Provider Resources

Symptoms of Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Causes & Risk Factors for Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Diagnostic studies for Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Treatment of Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Continuing Medical Education (CME)

CME Programs on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

International

Jumping Frenchmen of Maine en Espanol

Jumping Frenchmen of Maine en Francais

Business

Jumping Frenchmen of Maine in the Marketplace

Patents on Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Experimental / Informatics

List of terms related to Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Background

Jumping Frenchmen of Maine is a rare disorder originally described by G. M. Beard in 1878.[1][2] It results in an exaggerated "startle" reflex,[3] and was first noted among related French-Canadian lumberjacks in the Moosehead Lake area of Maine. It is not clear if the disorder is neurological or psychological.

The "Jumping Frenchmen" seemed to react abnormally to sudden stimuli. Beard recorded, for instance, individuals who would obey any command given suddenly, even if it meant striking a loved one, and repeat back unfamiliar or foreign phrases uncontrollably. Beard also noticed that the condition was often shared within a family, suggesting that it was inherited.

The interest sparked by Beard's publication about the disorder inspired Georges Gilles de la Tourette to investigate what later became known as Tourette's syndrome. Further studies of the condition in the 1980s, however, cast doubt on whether the "Jumping Frenchmen" phenomenon was in fact a physical condition like Tourette's. Documentation of direct observation of "Jumping Frenchmen" has been scarce, and while videotape evidence was recorded by several researchers that showed the condition to be real, Saint-Hilaire concluded from studying eight affected people that it was brought on by conditions at their lumber camps and was psychological, not neurological.[4]

See also

References

  1. Beard G. Remarks upon jumpers or jumping Frenchmen. J Nerv Ment Dis 1878;5: 526.
  2. Beard G. Experiments with the jumpers of Maine. Pop Sci Monthly (NY) 1880;18: 170-178.
  3. Howard R, Ford R (1992). "From the jumping Frenchmen of Maine to post-traumatic stress disorder: the startle response in neuropsychiatry". Psychol Med. 22 (3): 695–707. PMID 1410093.
  4. Saint-Hilaire M, Saint-Hilaire J, Granger L (1986). "Jumping Frenchmen of Maine". Neurology. 36 (9): 1269–71. PMID 3528919.

Template:WH Template:WikiDoc Sources