The effects of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), a serotonin precursor, and carbidopa,
a peripheral aromatic amino acid decarboxylase inhibitor, were studied in a boy with
the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. No effects on the self-mutilating behaviors of this disorder were noted.
However, sleep patterns were normalized, with a reduction in the proportionate amounts
of wakefulness and an augmentation of active sleep. A sharp reduction in waking behavioral
dyskinesias was also correlated to increased drug dosage.
Genetics - neurochemistry - 5-HTP-Carbidopa - sleep-wake states
