Sensorimotor Integration in Patients With Tourette Syndrome (ISM)

December 17, 2025 updated by: I.R.C.C.S Ospedale Galeazzi-Sant'Ambrogio

Sensorimotor Integration in Patients With Tourette Syndrome: an Observational Study.

The present study investigates the mechanisms underlying the sense of agency in patients with Tourette Syndrome (TS). Previous research has shown that individuals with TS display impairments in both explicit and implicit aspects of agency, possibly due to altered integration between sensory feedback and motor predictions. To explore this hypothesis, the study will examine the phenomenon of sensory attenuation, a marker of sensorimotor integration that has not yet been investigated in this population. Furthermore, the study will assess how alterations in sensorimotor integration are related to the severity of TS symptoms.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

The present study aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying the sense of agency in patients with Tourette Syndrome (TS). Previous evidence indicates that individuals with TS exhibit abnormalities in both explicit and implicit (absent intentional binding) experiences of agency. According to a recent theoretical framework, such alterations may stem from impaired sensorimotor integration - specifically, a dysfunction in the ability to combine sensory feedback with motor predictions about the consequences of one's own actions. This deficit may not only affect motor control but also the awareness of self-generated movements, thereby compromising the distinction between self-produced and externally produced actions.

To test this hypothesis, the study will employ the Force Matching Task (FMT), a well-established paradigm used to assess sensory attenuation - the reduced perception of intensity for self-generated sensations compared to externally generated ones. In this task, participants are asked to reproduce a force applied to their finger either by pressing directly with their own finger (self-generated condition) or by controlling a mechanical device (externally generated condition). In healthy individuals, self-generated forces are typically perceived as weaker due to predictive motor mechanisms. A reduced or absent sensory attenuation effect would indicate altered sensorimotor integration.

The primary aim of the study is therefore to evaluate whether patients with Tourette Syndrome show atypical sensory attenuation compared to healthy controls, as an index of altered sensorimotor integration underlying the sense of agency. The secondary aim is to examine the relationship between the degree of sensory attenuation and clinical symptom severity, to determine whether deficits in sensorimotor integration are associated with the intensity of tic expression or other clinical features of the disorder.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

60

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Italy
    • Italy
      • Milan, Italy, Italy, 20100
        • IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi-Sant'Ambrogio

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population will include adult participants aged 18 to 65 years, comprising two groups: individuals diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome (TS) and healthy control participants. The Tourette group will consist of patients meeting DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Tourette Syndrome, recruited through specialized neurological and neuropsychiatric clinics. Healthy controls will be recruited from the general population and will be matched to the TS group for age, sex, and education level.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

For Tourette Syndrome group:

  • Clinical diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome (TS) according to DSM-5 criteria
  • Age between 18 and 65 years
  • Ability to understand and comply with study procedures
  • Written informed consent provided

For Healthy Control group:

  • No current or past history of neurological or psychiatric disorders
  • Age between 18 and 65 years
  • Matched to the TS group for age, sex, and education level
  • Ability to understand and comply with study procedures
  • Written informed consent provided

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of significant neurological disorders (e.g., brain injury or dementia) or major psychiatric disorders (with the exception of conditions commonly associated with Tourette Syndrome, such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, ADHD, depression, and anxiety);
  • Failure or refusal to provide written informed consent;
  • Confirmed pregnancy (self-reported) and/or breastfeeding.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Tourette Syndrome Patients
Patients affected by Tourette Syndrome
Healthy controls
Individuals without neurological or psychiatric disorders

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Magnitude of sensory attenuation (difference between self-generated and externally generated force reproduction)
Time Frame: Day 1
Sensory attenuation
Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

I.R.C.C.S Ospedale Galeazzi-Sant'Ambrogio

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

March 20, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 3, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

December 3, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 4, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 17, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

December 18, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

December 18, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 17, 2025

Last Verified

December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • ISM_L3053

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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