The start of the biggest brain imaging and genetics study ever in Tourette syndrome

What is it about?

This article reviews the plan to combine brain imaging and genetic data across dozens of clinical and research centers around the world in support of a goal to find out how the known genetic influence on Tourette syndrome may manifest in changes in the brain detectable on an MRI scanner. This article explains the plan laid out in the National Institutes of Health grant to principal investigator Dr. Peristera Paschou.

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Why is it important?

We have known for a long time that a significant part of the cause of Tourette syndrome is inherited genetically. We have not been able to figure out which genes do what in the processes leading to its manifestation and symptom severity. In recent decades, research in other disorders has made clear that small numbers simply do not work for most disorders, like TS, that have clear genetic roots but can't be attributed to changes in a single gene. Thousands of patients and controls are needed, but then results really take off. Adding brain structure and function to the collection of information available on each participant can potentially do two things: give us an objective, relevant characteristic to find linkage to, and help explain the biology. There's every reason to think this approach, which has paid off for autism, schizophrenia, OCD, and other brain disorders, will work well for Tourette syndrome as well.

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