Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Psychiatr Res 2019 Feb 7;111:145-153. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. Electronic address:

Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes children to make repeated, brief involuntary movements or sounds. TS can be co-morbid with other neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Clusters of biologically related genes have been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, suggesting shared pathologies. Read More

Mov Disord Clin Pract 2019 Jan 16;6(1):40-45. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

Department of Psychiatry University of California San Francisco San Francisco CA USA.

Background: Tourette's Syndrome (TS) is a childhood-onset movement disorder marked by the chronic presence of motor and vocal tics. Research shows that tics associated with TS tend to fade in severity for some (but not all) affected youth, though psychiatric comorbidities that commonly accompany TS may be more persistent. The long-term outcomes of individuals with TS have not been well characterized. Read More

Indian J Psychiatry 2019 Jan-Feb;61(1):13-21

Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.

Neurosurgery for psychiatric disorders (NPD) has been practiced for >80 years. However, the interests have waxed and waned, from 1000s of surgeries in 1940-1950s to handful of surgery in 60-80s. This changed with the application of deep brain stimulation surgery, a surgery, considered to be "reversible" there has been a resurgence in interest. Read More

J Neurosci 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Hyperactivity in striatum is associated with compulsive behaviors in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related illnesses, but it is unclear if this hyperactivity is due to intrinsic striatal dysfunction or abnormalities in corticostriatal inputs. Understanding the cellular and circuit properties underlying striatal hyperactivity could help inform the optimization of targeted stimulation treatments for compulsive behavior disorders. To investigate the cellular and synaptic abnormalities that may underlie corticostriatal dysfunction relevant to OCD, we utilized the Sapap3 knockout (Sapap3-KO) mouse model of compulsive behaviors, which also exhibits hyperactivity in central striatum. Read More

Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCSS, Via Giuseppe La Masa 19, 20156, Milan, Italy.

Purpose: Drug use in the pediatric population still often features off-label prescriptions, particularly for psychotropic drugs. We reviewed the registration status, scientific evidence, and recommendations from the guidelines for antipsychotics used for psychiatric disorders in children.

Methods: Antipsychotic drugs marketed in Italy, the United Kingdom (UK) and United States (US) were identified with the ATC Classification System. Read More

J Infect Dis 2019 Feb 5. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Centre for Individualized Infection Medicine, Hannover, Germany.

Background: The tryptophan-kynurenine-NAD+ pathway is closely associated with regulation of immune cells toward less inflammatory phenotypes and may exert neuroprotective effects. Investigating its regulation in CNS infections would improve our understanding of pathophysiology and end-organ damage, and, furthermore, open doors to its evaluation as a source of diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers.

Methods: We measured concentrations of kynurenine (Kyn) and tryptophan (Trp) in 220 cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients with bacterial and viral (herpes simplex, varicella zoster, enteroviruses) meningitis/encephalitis, neuroborreliosis, autoimmune neuroinflammation (anti-NMDA-R encephalitis, multiple sclerosis), and noninflamed controls (Bell's palsy, normal pressure hydrocephalus, Tourette syndrome). Read More

Dev Med Child Neurol 2019 Feb 5. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Neurology Department, The Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Epidemiological studies, animal models, and case-control studies indicate maternal immune activation may be an important factor involved in disease expression of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Tourette syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We report eight children (mean age 6y 6mo [range 4-15y]; six males and two females) referred over a 2-year period with at least one of these neurodevelopmental disorders plus a maternal history of thyroid autoimmunity. Seven of eight children presented with an abrupt onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms (OCD [n=6], tics [n=5], and/or psychosis [n=1]), associated with an autistic or global regression. Read More

Br J Pharmacol 2019 Feb 4. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 333b, New Haven, CT, 06524.

Histamine dysregulation was implicated as a rare cause of Tourette syndrome and other tic disorders a decade ago by a landmark genetic study in a high-density family pedigree, which implicated a hypomorphic mutation in the histidine decarboxylase (Hdc) gene as a rare but high-penetrance genetic cause. Studies in Hdc knockout mice have confirmed that this mutation causes tic-relevant behavioral and neurochemical abnormalities that parallel what is seen in patients and thus validate the knockout as a potentially informative model of tic pathophysiology. Recent studies have focused on the potential role of the H3R histamine receptor in this model, and by association in tic disorders and related neuropsychiatric conditions. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Jan 30;9(1):972. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.

While the importance of the serotonergic system in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is well established, its role in Tourette syndrome (TS) is uncertain. Particularly in TS patients with comorbid OCD (TS + OCD), decreased serotonin transporter (SERT) binding has been suggested. Here, we investigated for the first time SERT binding in TS patients with and without OCD (TS - OCD) compared to both healthy controls (HC) and OCD patients as well as the influence of escitalopram using the potent SERT imaging ligand [I]2-((2-((dimethylamino)methyl)phenyl)thio)-5-iodophenylamine ([I]ADAM) and single-photon emission tomography (SPECT). Read More

Cancers (Basel) 2019 Jan 22;11(2). Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Laboratory of Palliative Medicine, Department of Social Medicine and Public Health, Medical University of Warsaw, ul. Oczki 3, Warszawa 02-007, Poland.

There is an increased interest in the use of cannabinoids in the treatment of symptoms in cancer and palliative care patients. Their multimodal action, in spite of limited efficacy, may make them an attractive alternative, particularly in patients with multiple concomitant symptoms of mild and moderate intensity. There is evidence to indicate cannabis in the treatment of pain, spasticity, seizures, sleep disorders, nausea and vomiting, and Tourette syndrome. Read More

Biol Psychiatry 2019 Feb;85(4):281-282

Department of Psychological Sciences, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, University of London, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2019 Jan 19. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Clinic of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.

Although the DSM-5 chronic motor tic disorder (CMTD) and Tourette syndrome (TS) are distinct diagnostic categories, there is no genetic or phenotypic evidence that supports this diagnostic categorization. The aim of this study was to compare patients with both diagnoses along a number of clinical characteristics to provide further diagnostic clarity. Our sample consisted of 1018 patients (including adult and child patients) suffering from chronic tic disorders. Read More

Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2019 Jan 9. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Neurology, Fixel Center for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.

Introduction: Drawing on the seminal work of DeLong, Albin, and Young, we have now entered an era of basal ganglia neuromodulation. Understanding, re-evaluating, and leveraging the lessons learned from neuromodulation will be crucial to facilitate an increased and improved application of neuromodulation in human disease.

Methods: We will focus on deep brain stimulation (DBS) - the most common form of basal ganglia neuromodulation - however, similar principles can apply to other neuromodulation modalities. Read More

Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y) 2018 9;8:595. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Background: Anatomically, cortical-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical (CBGTC) circuits have an essential role in the expression of tics. At the biochemical level, the proper conveyance of messages through these circuits requires several functionally integrated neurotransmitter systems. In this manuscript, evidence supporting proposed pathophysiological abnormalities, both anatomical and chemical is reviewed. Read More

JAMA Neurol 2019 Jan 14. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Importance: There are limited data concerning the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disorders among individuals with Tourette syndrome (TS) or chronic tic disorder (CTD).

Objective: To investigate the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disorders among individuals with TS or CTD over a period of 40 years.

Design, Settings, And Participants: This longitudinal population-based cohort study included all individuals living in Sweden between January 1, 1973, and December 31, 2013. Read More

Appetite 2019 Jan 8;135:131-136. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Department of Psychology and Sports Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9AB, UK. Electronic address:

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by involuntary, repetitive and non-rhythmic motor and vocal tics. Despite suggestion that diet may affect tics, and the substantial research into children's diet, eating behaviours and sensory processing in comorbid disorders (e.g. Read More

J Clin Neurosci 2019 Jan 3. Epub 2019 Jan 3.

Functional Neurosurgery and DBS, Centro Chirurgico Toscano, Via dei Lecci, 22, 52100 Arezzo, Italy.

Tourette syndrome is a rare neuropsychiatric disorder affecting the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical system. The disease manifests in childhood with tics and various psychiatric comorbidities. Cases of refractory Tourette syndrome are valuable candidates for functional neurosurgery. Read More

J Neurosurg 2019 Jan 4:1-9. Epub 2019 Jan 4.

1Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

OBJECTIVEA current challenge is finding an effective and safe treatment for severely disabled patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS) and comorbid psychiatric disorders, in whom conventional treatments have failed. The authors aimed to evaluate the utility of globus pallidus internus deep brain stimulation (GPi-DBS) combined with bilateral anterior capsulotomy in treating these clinically challenging patients.METHODSThe authors conducted a retrospective review of the clinical history and outcomes of 10 severely disabled patients with treatment-refractory TS and a psychiatric comorbidity, who had undergone GPi-DBS combined with bilateral anterior capsulotomy in their hospital. Read More

BMJ Open 2019 Jan 3;9(1):e027583. Epub 2019 Jan 3.

Queens Medical Centre, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Developmental Psychiatry, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.

Introduction: Tourette syndrome and chronic tic disorder are common, disabling childhood-onset conditions. Guidelines recommend that behavioural therapy should be offered as first-line treatment for children with tics. However, there are very few trained behaviour therapists for tics and many patients cannot access appropriate care. Read More

Neurotherapeutics 2019 Jan;16(1):105-118

Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) represents one of the major clinical breakthroughs in the age of translational neuroscience. In 1987, Benabid and colleagues demonstrated that high-frequency stimulation can mimic the effects of ablative neurosurgery in Parkinson's disease (PD), while offering two key advantages to previous procedures: adjustability and reversibility. Deep brain stimulation is now an established therapeutic approach that robustly alleviates symptoms in patients with movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and dystonia, who present with inadequate or adverse responses to medication. Read More

Compend Contin Educ Dent 2019 Jan;40(1):e6-e15

Associate Professor, College of Dentistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee.

Background: This study evaluated a novel treatment approach using the concept of cranial facial manipulation with an oral appliance, the TicTocStop Tic Guard (TTSTG), also known as the Tic Guard, to determine its safety and efficacy in the treatment of Tourette syndrome (TS) and chronic tic disorders (CTDs).

Methods: A two-center study was undertaken at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and a facility on Long Island, New York. A total of 77 subjects enrolled between the centers upon referral from local neurologists and via Internet enrollment; 67 subjects started the study, and 58 completed the study. Read More

Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2018 Dec 28. Epub 2018 Dec 28.

Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) occurs nine times more often in females than in males. Although environmental factors likely play a role, the reasons for this imbalanced sex ratio remain unresolved. AN displays high genetic correlations with anthropometric and metabolic traits. Read More

Integr Med Res 2018 Dec 27;7(4):381-386. Epub 2018 Jun 27.

KM Fundamental Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.

Tic disorder is characterized as sudden, non-rhythmic, involuntary and repetitive movement or vocalization, and its onset occurs mainly in childhood or adolescence. The development of medication has been limited because of a lack of understanding of tic mechanisms, and behavioral treatment is recommended as a first-line treatment. In this case report, we observed three cases in which tic disorder or Tourette syndrome was treated with intraoral orthopedic treatment (FCST) combined with acupuncture and an herbal formula and was assessed using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), a visual analog scale (VAS) and video analysis. Read More

Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2018 17;14:3381-3392. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

Department of Pediatrics, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China,

Purpose: This study explored whether Jian-Pi-Zhi-Dong-Decoction (JPZDD) could regulate the metabolism of glutamate (GLU) and its transporters in the striatum to exert anti-tics effects in Tourette syndrome (TS) rats.

Materials And Methods: We randomly assigned 56 Sprague Dawley rats into four groups, each with 14 rats: control, model, tiapride (Tia), and JPZDD. TS groups (model, Tia, and JPZDD) received intraperitoneal injection of 3,3'-iminodipropionitrile for 7 days to establish TS model. Read More

Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2018 ;118(11):56-59

N.P. Bekhtereva Institute of Human Brain Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Aim: To study anxiety disorders in adolescents with Tourette syndrome (TS) and in their mothers.

Material And Methods: Twenty-seven teenagers with TS, aged from 12 to 15 years, and their mothers were included in the main group. The control group consisted of 30 healthy adolescents and their mothers. Read More

Compr Psychiatry 2019 Feb 24;89:33-39. Epub 2018 Nov 24.

Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clínic Universitari, C/Villarroel n°170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain.

Introduction: In childhood, diagnoses made at the first admission to a psychiatric unit are frequently unstable and temporary. In this study, we examined the stability of DSM-IV-TR disorders and groups of disorders among adolescents followed-up for 5 years after hospitalization.

Method: All inpatients admitted for the first time between 2007 and 2008 were included and contacted after 5 years for re-evaluation. Read More

Clin Neurophysiol 2018 Dec 7. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Laboratoire de psychophysiologie cognitive et sociale, Montreal, Qc, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Qc, Canada; Département de neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Qc, Canada; Département de psychiatrie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Qc, Canada. Electronic address:

Objectives: Tourette syndrome (TS) patients face various cognitive and motor impairments. Event-related potentials (ERP) constitute an effective way to investigate the neural correlates of those functional impairments. Various components have been assessed among TS patients, with a wide variety of paradigms. Read More

Cell Rep 2018 Dec;25(12):3544

Brain 2019 Jan;142(1):209-219

Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, UK.

Current theories of motor control emphasize how the brain may use internal models of the body to ensure accurate planning and control of movements. One such internal model-a forward model-is thought to generate an estimate of the next motor state and/or the sensory consequences of an upcoming movement, thereby allowing movement errors to be monitored. In addition, forward models may provide a means by which to determine a sense of agency, i. Read More

Psychiatry Res 2018 Dec 6;271:469-475. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, University Kingdom; Department of Neuroscience, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, United Kingdom; Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom.

Interoceptive processes in Tourette syndrome may foster the premonitory urges that commonly precede tics. Twenty-one adults with TS and 22 controls completed heartbeat tracking and discrimination tasks. Three dimensions of interoception were examined: objective accuracy, metacognitive awareness, and subjective (self-report) sensibility. Read More

JAMA Psychiatry 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee.

Importance: Children and youths who are prescribed antipsychotic medications have multiple, potentially fatal, dose-related cardiovascular, metabolic, and other adverse events, but whether or not these medications are associated with an increased risk of death is unknown.

Objective: To compare the risk of unexpected death among children and youths who are beginning treatment with antipsychotic or control medications.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective cohort study was conducted from 1999 through 2014 and included Medicaid enrollees aged 5 to 24 years in Tennessee who had no diagnosis of severe somatic illness, schizophrenia or related psychoses, or Tourette syndrome or chronic tic disorder. Read More

J Atten Disord 2018 Dec 10:1087054718816169. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Objective: The objective of the study is to describe the extent to which students with ADHD received school-based intervention services and identify demographic, diagnostic, and impairment-related variables that are associated with service receipt in a large, nationally drawn sample.

Method: Parent-reported data were obtained for 2,495 children with ADHD aged 4 to 17 years from the National Survey of the Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD and Tourette Syndrome (NS-DATA).

Results: The majority (69. Read More

Australas Psychiatry 2018 Dec 3:1039856218815750. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Paediatric Neurologist, Department of Paediatric Neurology, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, and; Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Objectives:: This preliminary study explored whether an adapted approach to the Alert Program, that uses sensorimotor strategies, might assist with management of tic disorders in children. The Alert Program, a program that uses sensorimotor strategies for self-regulation in children with neurodevelopmental disorders, had not been trialled with children with tic disorders.

Methods:: Ten children with tic disorder were assessed using the Dunn Sensory Profile 2 (SP2), the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) and the Parent Tic Questionnaire (PTQ). Read More

Expert Rev Neurother 2018 Dec 1. Epub 2018 Dec 1.

b Department of Human Neurosciences , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome.

Introduction: This paper reviews studies that have assessed the treatment of psychiatric disturbances in dystonia, tic disorders, Tourette syndrome, Huntington's disease and essential tremor. Areas covered: We searched for papers in English in Pubmed using the following keywords: blepharospasm, cervical dystonia, arm dystonia, laryngeal dystonia, spasmodic dysphonia, tic disorders, Tourette syndrome, Huntington's chorea, essential tremor, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, psychosis, apathy. Expert commentary: Although psychiatric disturbances are frequent in hyperkinetic movement disorders, few controlled studies have assessed the treatment of psychiatric disturbances in such disorders. Read More

Mov Disord Clin Pract 2018 Sep-Oct;5(5):499-505. Epub 2018 Oct 3.

Department of Neurology Catholic University of the Sacred Heart Milan Italy.

Background: The benefits of neurosurgery in Tourette Syndrome (TS) are still incompletely understood. Prefrontal cortical electrical stimulation offers a less invasive alternative to deep brain stimulation.

Objective: To perform a pilot assessment on safety and efficacy of prefrontal cortical bilateral electrical stimulation in TS using clinical and brain metabolic assessments. Read More

J Neurosurg Pediatr 2018 Oct 1:1-11. Epub 2018 Oct 1.

2Department of Surgery, University of Toronto.

OBJECTIVEGilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) is a disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics. Although by definition the onset of GTS is before age 18 years, clinical trials of deep brain stimulation (DBS) have been conducted only in adults. Using individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis methodology, the current study investigated the safety and efficacy of DBS as a treatment for GTS in children and youth. Read More

J Can Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2018 Nov 1;27(4):222-227. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario.

Objective: To examine the relationship between physical activity, tic severity and quality of life (QoL) in children and adolescents with persistent tic disorder and Tourette Syndrome.

Method: Baseline data was examined from a larger randomized controlled trial (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02153463). Read More

Mov Disord 2018 Nov;33(11):1800-1804

Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.

Background: Behavioral disinhibition has been proposed as a key mechanism in Tourette syndrome. Yet classic inhibition tasks have yielded inconsistent results, likely reflecting interference by strategies compensating for tic release.

Methods: We examined a core inhibitory function that is immune to such interference because it suppresses movements automatically. Read More

Pediatrics 2018 Dec;142(6)

Office of the Dean, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia.

: media-1vid110.1542/5839990273001PEDS-VA_2017-4161 OBJECTIVES: To estimate the national prevalence of parent-reported autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis among US children aged 3 to 17 years as well as their treatment and health care experiences using the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH).

Methods: The 2016 NSCH is a nationally representative survey of 50 212 children focused on the health and well-being of children aged 0 to 17 years. Read More

Int Rev Neurobiol 2018 12;143:65-108. Epub 2018 Oct 12.

Centre de Référence National Maladie Rare 'Syndrome Gilles de la Tourette, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, UMR S 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, ICM, Paris, France; Départment de Physiologie, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France.

Tics are neurodevelopmental hyperkinetic symptoms typically associated with unpleasant sensory experiences called premonitory urges. Tourette syndrome (TS) is the primary chronic tic disorder for which medical surveillance is most frequently required, and is associated with a complex phenotypical spectrum encompassing different types of abnormal behaviors. Animal models of tics support their link to phasic activity changes throughout the sensorimotor loop of the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical network. Read More

Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2018 Nov 20. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a highly heritable complex phenotype that demonstrates sex differences in age of onset and clinical presentation, suggesting a possible sex difference in underlying genetic architecture. We present the first genome-wide characterization of the sex-specific genetic architecture of OCD, utilizing the largest set of OCD cases and controls available from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. We assessed evidence for several mechanisms that may contribute to sex differences including a sex-dependent liability threshold, the presence of individual sex-specific risk variants on the autosomes and the X chromosome, and sex-specific pleiotropic effects. Read More

Int J Law Psychiatry 2018 Nov - Dec;61:1-5. Epub 2018 Sep 22.

Studio Alleva, 6 V. Monti Street, 20100 Milan, Italy. Electronic address:

Tourette's syndrome (TS) is a developmental neurobehavioral disorder with childhood onset and relevant burden in terms of disability and reduced quality of life. In Italy the biological basis of this syndrome is still frequently ignored and TS is often recognised as a psychiatric manifestation, or even it is not recognised as pathology, which may result in inadequate treatment, social isolation and improper hospitalization. Indeed, the organic medical nature of TS needs to be taken into great consideration in evaluating causality of committing crimes in affected patients. Read More

J Clin Neuromuscul Dis 2018 Dec;20(2):94-98

Departments of Pediatrics and.

Severe recurrent proximal muscle weakness without neuroleptic malignant syndrome secondary to antidopaminergic medication has rarely been reported. We report a 29-year-old man with history of obsessive compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome who presented with 2 months of worsening dyspnea 3 weeks after starting ziprasidone 40 mg daily that required mechanical ventilation. A year before, after an increased risperidone dose from 0. Read More

Biol Psychiatry 2019 Feb 29;85(4):298-304. Epub 2018 Sep 29.

Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Background: Tourette syndrome (TS) has a well-established genetic background, but its genetic architecture remains largely unknown. The authors investigated the role of polygenic risk scores (PRSs) derived from a TS genome-wide association study in relation to the occurrence of tics and associated traits in a general population cohort.

Methods: Using the most recent TS genome-wide association study (n = 4819 cases; n = 9488 controls) as the discovery sample, PRSs were calculated in Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children participants (n = 8941). Read More

Brain Nerve 2018 Nov;70(11):1237-1245

Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Medical Center.

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. TS was formerly considered to be a psychogenic disease; however, TS has recently been thought to be a heterogeneous disease with neurological bases and involving environmental and genetic factors. For example, it has been suggested that neurotransmitters including dopamine and cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits are suggested to be associated with TS pathogenesis. Read More

J Psychiatr Pract 2018 Nov;24(6):432-433

KAHN: Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY.

Two case reports explore opiate use in relation to 2 different psychiatric disorders. In the first case report, the authors reported the finding that opiate abuse appeared to mitigate premorbid Tourette syndrome in a small series of patients with opiate addiction and that this benefit was maintained with medically supervised opiate agonist therapy. In the second case report, the authors noted a significant correlation between prescription opiate use and delusions of infestation in a large psychodermatology clinic (as well as a separate, stronger correlation with stimulant use). Read More

J Psychiatr Pract 2018 Nov;24(6):424-427

SARAJLIJA, RAKETIC, and NESIC: Special Hospital for Addiction Diseases, Belgrade, Serbia.

Introduction: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity. The most common comorbid disorder in patients with TS is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To date, there have been few reports concerning the association of TS with addiction. Read More

Mov Disord 2018 Nov 31;33(11):1804-1809. Epub 2018 Oct 31.

Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.

Background: Tics can be voluntarily inhibited. However, the neurophysiology of voluntary tic inhibition remains underexplored. The objective of this study was to explore state-dependent effects of voluntary tic inhibition on M1 excitability. Read More

Sao Paulo Med J 2018 Sep-Oct;136(5):472-478. Epub 2018 Oct 22.

MD, MSc, PhD. Rheumatologist; Adjunct Professor, Discipline of Evidence-Based Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP); and Researcher, Cochrane Brazil, São Paulo (SP), Brazil.

Background: The therapeutic effects of cannabinoid compounds have been the center of many investigations. This study provides a synthesis on all Cochrane systematic reviews (SRs) that assessed the use of cannabinoids as a therapeutic approach.

Design And Setting: Review of SRs, conducted in the Discipline of Evidence-Based Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Read More