The Jumping Frenchman of Maine Disorder s a disease that affects the neurological center. A person with this condition will overreact or have an exaggerated reaction when startled. If a person without the disorder were to jump a little from something that startled them, someone with this disorder may jump so that it's more visible, flail their arms, and/or shout out loud. Another side effect of this disorder is that when startled, the person will obey a command when given.