Compulsive behavior and eye blink in Prader-Willi syndrome: neurochemical implications

Compulsive behavior in Prader-Willi syndrome is well-documented, though the neurochemical basis of these behaviors remains unknown. We studied a group of 16 people with Prader-Willi syndrome and a comparison group of 19 people with intellectual disability. Using eye-blink rate as an indirect measure of central nervous system dopamine, we found a higher eye-blink rate in the Prader-Willi syndrome group and a relationship between compulsive behavior and eye-blink rate across both groups. Our findings indicate a relationship between compulsions and an indirect measure of dopamine in people with intellectual disability. Our findings may provide evidence for a gene-brain-behavior link between dopamine levels and GABAergic mechanisms in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome.