Jumping Frenchmen of Maine
Encyclopedia
Jumping Frenchmen of Maine is a rare psychological or, possibly, a neurological disorder first observed by George Miller Beard
in 1878. It entails an exaggerated "startle" reflex which may be described as an uncontrollable "jump" but can also exhibit sudden movements in all parts of the body. Though distinct and unique, this condition also shares similar symptoms with numerous disorders pertaining to startle. Patients with this disorder were first found in the northern regions of Maine; hence, the unusual name for this medical condition.
, the act of repeating back unfamiliar or foreign phrases uncontrollably and also echopraxia
, the act of imitating movements from surrounding people. The more common and less intense symptoms consist of jumping, yelling, and hitting. Although these patients may exhibit such outrageous bursts, many describe themselves as normally ticklish and shy.
Others think this is possibly a cultural personality or a formed habit. These French "jumpers" lived in a very remote region and most were lumberjacks. This type of small community would allow for a majority to adapt to this sort of reaction. Also, instances of many originally being shy may imply that the "jumper" was positively reinforced by the sudden attention as the entertainment for a group.
First, there is a synapse from the auditory nerve fibers in the ear to the cochlear root neurons (CRN). These are the first acoustic neurons of the central nervous system
. Studies have shown a direct correlation to the amount of decrease of the startle to the number of CRNs that were killed. Second, there is a synapse from the CRN axons to the cells in the nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis (PnC) of the brain. These are neurons that are located in the pons
of the brainstem. A study done to disrupt this portion of the pathway by the injection of PnC inhibitory chemicals has shown a dramatic decrease in the amount of startle by about 80 to 90 percent. Third, a synapse occurs from the PnC axons to the motor neurons in the facial motor nucleus or the spinal cord that will directly or indirectly control the movement of muscles. The activation of the facial motor nucleus causes a jerk of the head while an activation in the spinal cord causes the whole body to startle.
or jaw muscle. The reflex was measured by electromyography
which records the electrical activitiy during movement of the muscles. This also showed the latency response or the delay between the stimulus and the response. Recorded was found to be about 14 milliseconds. The blink of the eye which is the reflex of the orbicularis oculi muscle
was found to have a latency of about 20 to 40 milliseconds. The Jumping Frenchmen of Maine may exhibit the "jumping" reflex from a combination of muscles to move the head, neck, shoulders, arms, and legs. Out of these, the head is quickest in a movement latency in a range from 60 to 120 milliseconds. The neck then moves almost simultaneously with a latency of 75 to 121 milliseconds. Next, the shoulder jerks at 100 to 121 milliseconds along with the arms at 125 to 195 milliseconds. Lastly the legs responds with a latency of 145 to 395 milliseconds. This type of cascading response correlates to how the synapses travel from the brain and down the spinal cord to activate each motor neuron.
was an American neurologist born on May 8, 1839 to minister Reverend Spencer F. Beard and his wife Lucy A. Leonard in Montville, Connecticut
. After finishing his undergraduate degree from Yale, he continued his studies in medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York. He had a unique interest in unusual disorders and immediately jumped at the opportunity to observe the endemic in Maine.
A lumberjack was working in his own horse's stall. His friend secretly waited in the stall right next to where his friend was. Then suddenly, he poked and neighed loudly like a horse. At this, the friend jumped away as though his own horse had kicked him.
A twenty-seven-year-old man was sitting in a chair holding a knife to cut his tobacco. Suddenly, he was slapped on the shoulder and was told to throw the knife. Immediately, he threw it straight into a beam in the opposite side of the room. The slap and the command were repeated a moment later while he was filling his pipe. Once again, the pipe flew out of his hand on to the grass. Later, he was startled while told to "strike" and he did so immediately on the cheek.
A sixteen year old boy was standing in the room when he was suddenly startled and told to jump. He jumped at least half a foot from the floor while yelling the command to jump.
"Goosey Gus" was a factory worker in Maryland in the early 1900s. Many of his fellow coworkers learned to make fun of him by poking him at the ribs whenever they walked by. They were able to make him do anything by merely just poking him. Though he was a very quiet and shy guy, people were able to cause him to use extremely foul language to the boss without any hesitation.
There was a transport driver among the farm laborers in South Africa also from the early 1900s. A small but sudden touch caused him to immediately lose control of his movements. He copied any sounds whether words or musical notes, he copied them without any hesitation or fear of the consequences.
is a genetic neuropsychiatric disorder. It is characterized by multiple physical (motor) tics, or sudden movements, and at least one vocal (phonic) tic
. There are many overlaps when compared clinically. One difference, however, is that unlike Tourette Syndrome, the abnormal "jumping" response is always provoked.
Latah
from Malaysia is a disorder where one's startle response is similar to a state of trance
with repetitive speech or movements.
Miryachit is a disorder found in Siberia that also displays an action similar to "jumping."
Neurasthenia
is a disorder with a startle response during periods of great fatigue.
Hyperekplexia
is an extremely rare autosomal dominant neurological disease. It results in the mutation of the glycine receptor
that inhibit signals to the spinal cord and brain stem. The symptoms start in infancy with hypertonia
, an abnormal muscle tension that decreases flexibility, and an exaggerated startle in all ages of life.
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.
George Miller Beard
George Miller Beard was a U.S. neurologist who popularized the term neurasthenia, starting around 1869.-Biography:...
in 1878. It entails an exaggerated "startle" reflex which may be described as an uncontrollable "jump" but can also exhibit sudden movements in all parts of the body. Though distinct and unique, this condition also shares similar symptoms with numerous disorders pertaining to startle. Patients with this disorder were first found in the northern regions of Maine; hence, the unusual name for this medical condition.
Signs and Symptoms
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. There have been cases with echolaliaEcholalia
Echolalia is the automatic repetition of vocalizations made by another person. It is closely related to echopraxia, the automatic repetition of movements made by another person....
, the act of repeating back unfamiliar or foreign phrases uncontrollably and also echopraxia
Echopraxia
Echopraxia is the involuntary repetition or imitation of the observed movements of another. It is closely related to echolalia, the involuntary repetition of another's speech. The etymology of the term is from Ancient Greek: "ἠχώ from ἠχή " and "πρᾶξις "...
, the act of imitating movements from surrounding people. The more common and less intense symptoms consist of jumping, yelling, and hitting. Although these patients may exhibit such outrageous bursts, many describe themselves as normally ticklish and shy.
Causes
There are possible suggestions that this is a genetic condition. Through Dr. Miller's observations of 50 cases, he found the disorder to be remotely located and concentrated in the northern regions of Maine. Fourteen of his cases were found in four families. Another set of cases were found in a single family where the father, his two sons, as well as his two grandchildren exhibited "jumping" behavior, strongly supporting the idea that it is a hereditary disorder.Others think this is possibly a cultural personality or a formed habit. These French "jumpers" lived in a very remote region and most were lumberjacks. This type of small community would allow for a majority to adapt to this sort of reaction. Also, instances of many originally being shy may imply that the "jumper" was positively reinforced by the sudden attention as the entertainment for a group.
Neurophysiology
A startle reflex can occur in the body through a combination of actions. A reflex from hearing a sudden loud noise will happen in the primary acoustic startle reflex pathway consisting of three main central synapses, or signals that travel through the brain.First, there is a synapse from the auditory nerve fibers in the ear to the cochlear root neurons (CRN). These are the first acoustic neurons of the central nervous system
Central nervous system
The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...
. Studies have shown a direct correlation to the amount of decrease of the startle to the number of CRNs that were killed. Second, there is a synapse from the CRN axons to the cells in the nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis (PnC) of the brain. These are neurons that are located in the pons
Pons
The pons is a structure located on the brain stem, named after the Latin word for "bridge" or the 16th-century Italian anatomist and surgeon Costanzo Varolio . It is superior to the medulla oblongata, inferior to the midbrain, and ventral to the cerebellum. In humans and other bipeds this means it...
of the brainstem. A study done to disrupt this portion of the pathway by the injection of PnC inhibitory chemicals has shown a dramatic decrease in the amount of startle by about 80 to 90 percent. Third, a synapse occurs from the PnC axons to the motor neurons in the facial motor nucleus or the spinal cord that will directly or indirectly control the movement of muscles. The activation of the facial motor nucleus causes a jerk of the head while an activation in the spinal cord causes the whole body to startle.
Reflexes
There are many various reflexes that can occur simultaneously during a startle response. The fastest reflex recorded happens within the masseter muscleMasseter muscle
In human anatomy, the masseter is one of the muscles of mastication.In the animal kingdom, it is particularly powerful in herbivores to facilitate chewing of plant matter.-Origin and insertion of the two heads:...
or jaw muscle. The reflex was measured by electromyography
Electromyography
Electromyography is a technique for evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. EMG is performed using an instrument called an electromyograph, to produce a record called an electromyogram. An electromyograph detects the electrical potential generated by muscle...
which records the electrical activitiy during movement of the muscles. This also showed the latency response or the delay between the stimulus and the response. Recorded was found to be about 14 milliseconds. The blink of the eye which is the reflex of the orbicularis oculi muscle
Orbicularis oculi muscle
The orbicularis oculi is a muscle in the face that closes the eyelids. It arises from the nasal part of the frontal bone, from the frontal process of the maxilla in front of the lacrimal groove, and from the anterior surface and borders of a short fibrous band, the medial palpebral ligament.From...
was found to have a latency of about 20 to 40 milliseconds. The Jumping Frenchmen of Maine may exhibit the "jumping" reflex from a combination of muscles to move the head, neck, shoulders, arms, and legs. Out of these, the head is quickest in a movement latency in a range from 60 to 120 milliseconds. The neck then moves almost simultaneously with a latency of 75 to 121 milliseconds. Next, the shoulder jerks at 100 to 121 milliseconds along with the arms at 125 to 195 milliseconds. Lastly the legs responds with a latency of 145 to 395 milliseconds. This type of cascading response correlates to how the synapses travel from the brain and down the spinal cord to activate each motor neuron.
History
Dr. Miller recorded conditions for the Jumping Frenchmen of Maine found among the French Canadians and lumberjacks who lived near Moosehead Lake in northern Maine.Dr. George Miller Beard
Dr. George Miller BeardGeorge Miller Beard
George Miller Beard was a U.S. neurologist who popularized the term neurasthenia, starting around 1869.-Biography:...
was an American neurologist born on May 8, 1839 to minister Reverend Spencer F. Beard and his wife Lucy A. Leonard in Montville, Connecticut
Montville, Connecticut
Montville is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 18,546 at the 2000 census and 19,571 at the 2010 census....
. After finishing his undergraduate degree from Yale, he continued his studies in medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York. He had a unique interest in unusual disorders and immediately jumped at the opportunity to observe the endemic in Maine.
Early Discoveries
Listed below are anecdotes.A lumberjack was working in his own horse's stall. His friend secretly waited in the stall right next to where his friend was. Then suddenly, he poked and neighed loudly like a horse. At this, the friend jumped away as though his own horse had kicked him.
A twenty-seven-year-old man was sitting in a chair holding a knife to cut his tobacco. Suddenly, he was slapped on the shoulder and was told to throw the knife. Immediately, he threw it straight into a beam in the opposite side of the room. The slap and the command were repeated a moment later while he was filling his pipe. Once again, the pipe flew out of his hand on to the grass. Later, he was startled while told to "strike" and he did so immediately on the cheek.
A sixteen year old boy was standing in the room when he was suddenly startled and told to jump. He jumped at least half a foot from the floor while yelling the command to jump.
"Goosey Gus" was a factory worker in Maryland in the early 1900s. Many of his fellow coworkers learned to make fun of him by poking him at the ribs whenever they walked by. They were able to make him do anything by merely just poking him. Though he was a very quiet and shy guy, people were able to cause him to use extremely foul language to the boss without any hesitation.
There was a transport driver among the farm laborers in South Africa also from the early 1900s. A small but sudden touch caused him to immediately lose control of his movements. He copied any sounds whether words or musical notes, he copied them without any hesitation or fear of the consequences.
Research Directions
Dr. Michael Davis of Emory University continues a great amount of research in this field. Though he is not specifically working with Jumping Frenchmen of Maine disorder, he hopes that his work will bring more understanding to the bizarre movements of a startle response. There are still many questions that need to be answered.Similar Disorders
Tourette SyndromeTourette syndrome
Tourette syndrome is an inherited neuropsychiatric disorder with onset in childhood, characterized by multiple physical tics and at least one vocal tic; these tics characteristically wax and wane...
is a genetic neuropsychiatric disorder. It is characterized by multiple physical (motor) tics, or sudden movements, and at least one vocal (phonic) tic
Tic
A tic is a sudden, repetitive, nonrhythmic, stereotyped motor movement or vocalization involving discrete muscle groups. Tics can be invisible to the observer, such as abdominal tensing or toe crunching. Common motor and phonic tics are, respectively, eye blinking and throat clearing...
. There are many overlaps when compared clinically. One difference, however, is that unlike Tourette Syndrome, the abnormal "jumping" response is always provoked.
Latah
Latah
Latah is a condition where, triggered by the startle reflex, victims fall into a trance in which they engage in repetitive speech or movements. Often these take the form of echopraxic and/or echolaliac automatisms...
from Malaysia is a disorder where one's startle response is similar to a state of trance
Trance
Trance denotes a variety of processes, ecstasy, techniques, modalities and states of mind, awareness and consciousness. Trance states may occur involuntarily and unbidden.The term trance may be associated with meditation, magic, flow, and prayer...
with repetitive speech or movements.
Miryachit is a disorder found in Siberia that also displays an action similar to "jumping."
Neurasthenia
Neurasthenia
Neurasthenia is a psycho-pathological term first used by George Miller Beard in 1869 to denote a condition with symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, headache, neuralgia and depressed mood...
is a disorder with a startle response during periods of great fatigue.
Hyperekplexia
Hyperekplexia
Hyperekplexia is a neurologic disorder classically characterised by pronounced startle responses to tactile or acoustic stimuli and hypertonia. The hypertonia may be predominantly truncal, attenuated during sleep and less prominent after a year of age...
is an extremely rare autosomal dominant neurological disease. It results in the mutation of the glycine receptor
Glycine receptor
The glycine receptor, or GlyR, is the receptor for the amino acid neurotransmitter glycine. GlyR is an ionotropic receptor that produces its effects through chloride current...
that inhibit signals to the spinal cord and brain stem. The symptoms start in infancy with hypertonia
Hypertonia
Hypertonia a condition marked by an abnormal increase in muscle tension and a reduced ability of a muscle to stretch. It is caused by lesions to upper motor neurons in the central nervous system, which carry information from the central nervous system to the muscles and control posture, muscle...
, an abnormal muscle tension that decreases flexibility, and an exaggerated startle in all ages of life.
Historical significance
The interest sparked by Beard's publication about the disorder inspired Georges Gilles de la TouretteGeorges Gilles de la Tourette
Georges Albert Édouard Brutus Gilles de la Tourette was a French neurologist who is the eponym of Tourette syndrome, a neurological condition...
to investigate what later became known as Tourette's syndrome
Tourette syndrome
Tourette syndrome is an inherited neuropsychiatric disorder with onset in childhood, characterized by multiple physical tics and at least one vocal tic; these tics characteristically wax and wane...
. 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.
External links
- NORD
- Introduction to Culture-Bound Syndromes, by Ronald C. SimonsRonald C. SimonsRonald C. Simons, MD, MA is a psychiatrist and anthropologist best known for his work on latah, a culture-bound syndrome found predominantly in Malaysia and Indonesia. He has written on culture-bound syndromes more generally. He is professor of psychiatry and adjunct professor of anthropology at...
, Psychiatric Times, November 2001, Vol. XVIII, Issue 11