MRI Study of Tic Remission in Tourette Syndrome

Neuroimaging to Elucidate the Mechanism of Tic Resolution in Tourette Syndrome

Doctors provide a ray of hope to children and their parents with the knowledge that, for most patients, symptoms of Tourette syndrome improve by the time they are young adults. The investigators do not know why some improve and others do not. This study is designed to help answer that question. The investigators will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to test whether individuals who experience improvement of their Tourette's (tic remission) have more mature brain connections than those who do not.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Tourette Syndrome

Detailed Description

One of the most interesting aspects of Tourette syndrome is a virtual remission of tics by early adulthood in about half of patients. Information is needed to clarify the mechanism of tic remission in order to guide development of better treatments for this disabling condition. For this cross-sectional study, 10 individuals with tic remission and 10 individuals with persistent Tourette syndrome are being recruited for a one-time study visit. 10 neurologically normal (non-TS) controls have also been recruited to obtain control neuroimaging data. All participants will complete a study questionnaire and a 60-minute MRI procedure. Sequences used to compare the groups will be volumetric, diffusion tensor, resting state functional connectivity MRI and MR spectroscopy. Our primary hypothesis is that the pattern of functional connectivity in individuals with tic remission will be more mature than that of those with persistent tics. Secondary hypotheses tested will explore whether the other modalities can be used to differentiate tic remission from persistent TS.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 21

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Utah
    • Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 84108
      • University of Utah

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Young adult males (aged 18-35) with a history of Tourette syndrome, including at least moderate disability from tics during childhood.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

All subjects: males aged 18-35 with history of Tourette syndrome and at least moderately disabling tics during childhood.

Persistent Tourette's subjects: history of disabling tics during childhood but no longer taking tic suppressing drugs.

Tic remission subjects: no longer experiencing any disability (even social discomfort) from tics. Must have had sustained improvement of tics for at least 3 years.

Normal controls: no longer recruiting.

Exclusion Criteria:

Tourette's subjects still taking tic suppressing drugs are excluded. Also excluded are any patients with a condition (such as a pacemaker, recent tattoo, implantable metal device, or claustrophobia) that could make the MRI examination unsafe.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

3

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
TS controls; 10
Non TS Controls; 11
TS remission

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Resting state functional connectivity	Quantitative measurements of integrated voxel-by-voxel blood oxygen level dependent fMRI time-series data will be compared between activated regions. Cross-correlation coefficients will be computed following band-pass filtering of data for evaluation of frequency-dependent contributions to correlation using standard functional connectivity techniques. Similar correlation analysis will be performed with signal from pulse oximetry and respiratory effort to evaluate for confounding stimulus-correlated physiological noise.	Participants come in for a one-time visit. All participants will be enrolled by July 2012. Data will be analyzed by Sept 2012.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy	For each subject a central voxel within the anterior cingulate will be used as the region of interest. Peaks for substances of interest will be compared between each cohort.	Participants come in for a one-time visit. All participants will be enrolled by July 2012. Data will be analyzed by Sept 2012.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Utah
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: David Shprecher, Neurology

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2010
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): June 1, 2012
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): June 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 27, 2011
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 27, 2011
• First Posted (ESTIMATE): July 29, 2011

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE): May 12, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 10, 2016
• Last Verified: May 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Tourette syndrome; Tourette; Tourette's; Tourette's syndrome; tic
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Pathologic Processes; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Disease; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Movement Disorders; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Heredodegenerative Disorders, Nervous System; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Tic Disorders; Syndrome; Tourette Syndrome
• Other Study ID Numbers: 39432

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Study Data/Documents

1. Clinical Study Report
   Information comments: Final Study Results, Published in Tremor and Other Hyperkinetic Disorders