Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

A rare condition reported in only a few parts of the world, Jumping Frenchmen of Maine is characterised by different startle responses. The symptoms of this condition usually begin at a young age (10-13 years).

According to the paper titled "The Enigma of the 'Jumping Frenchmen of Maine'", published in the Maine History Journal, the symptoms include a "combination of jumping, screaming, swearing, flailing out and striking bystanders, and throwing objects that happened to be in their hands". But for a brief moment, these exaggerated responses also included "'automatic obedience': subjects briefly did whatever they were told".

There are several theories about the cause of Jumping Frenchmen syndrome, but none of them has been able to conclusively tell us why this condition occurs. One such suggestion is that it is a genetic condition. A 1965 study published in Archives of Neurology (now known as JAMA Neurology) retraced George Beard's original observation of 50 cases in Maine, of which 14 of them were found in just four families, leading to the genetic theory.

Dr Beard wrote that the disorder first appeared in childhood, ran in the family but wasn't seen in females, and was a lifelong condition that included a jumping response to sudden noise or being startled. He further observed that these responses were never random or spontaneous, and did not trigger unconsciousness.

Diagnosing a condition as rare as Jumping Frenchmen of Maine can be difficult, as it is not only characterised by location or territory, but also through various different symptoms that are also characteristic of other conditions. A neurologist may be required to observe the symptoms who must be able to rule out the possibility of other syndromes such as startle reflex, tics, or even Tourette syndrome.

A study published in the journal Neurology India looking into the startle response disorder known as Hyperekplexia, found that it was easy for doctors to misdiagnose such movement disorders, as the symptoms can sometimes be similar to those seen in epilepsy or seizures.

In countries like India where Jumping Frenchmen is even rarer, diagnosis can be extremely difficult and chances of misdiagnosis quite high.

Other sources have suggested that startle responses like in the case of the Jumping Frenchmen syndrome play a critical role while studying neuropsychiatric conditions because they could point towards greater neurological disorders. 

Prepulse inhibition, for instance, occurs when a subthreshold stimulus - a stimulus that doesn't usually produce an excitable reaction - overtakes a startling stimulus in the brain. This prepulse inhibition is usually seen in various conditions such as schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as well as Huntington's disease.