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Pharm Stat 2022 Jun 28. Epub 2022 Jun 28.

European Medicines Agency, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected clinical trials across disease areas, raising the questions how interpretable results can be obtained from impacted studies. Applying the estimands framework, analyses may seek to estimate the treatment effect in the hypothetical absence of such impact. However, no established estimators exist. Read More

Front Pediatr 2022 9;10:794188. Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Department of Psychiatry, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children Healthy, Beijing, China.

Objective: Patients with tic disorders (TDs) usually also have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCSs) in TD is widely evaluated using the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS). However, there is no survey on the severity of OCSs in patients with TD based on a Chinese sample, and the reliability and validity of the CY-BOCS in patients with TD have not been well established in China. Read More

J Paediatr Child Health 2022 Jun 24. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States.

Aim: Adolescents have a high prevalence of obesity and neurodevelopmental and mental health co-occurring conditions. This study examined the association between obesity and several co-occurring conditions - autism spectrum disorder (ASD); intellectual disability; learning disability; stuttering, stammering or other speech problems; developmental delay; attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; epilepsy or seizure disorder; cerebral palsy; depression; anxiety; and Tourette Syndrome - in adolescents aged 10-17 years (n = 26 266) using 2017-2018 National Survey of Children's Health data.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used 2017-2018 National Survey of Children's Health data (n = 27 328); χ tests were conducted to compare the prevalence of obesity and several co-occurring conditions. Read More

Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ) 2021 Oct 5;19(4):384-391. Epub 2021 Nov 5.

Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (Mattheisen); Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark (M. Pato, C. Pato); Department of Cell Biology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York (Knowles).

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a complex, multifactorial disorder with onset in either childhood or early adulthood. Lifetime prevalence has been estimated to be around 2%-3%. groups OCD together with closely related disorders-body dysmorphic disorder, trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder), hoarding disorder, and excoriation disorder (skin-picking disorder)-as obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRDs). Read More

Psychiatry Res 2022 Jun 14;314:114684. Epub 2022 Jun 14.

Child Development and Disability Branch, Division of Human Development and Disability, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Estimates of the number of people in the U.S. with Tourette syndrome or other persistent tic disorders can inform service provision planning. Read More

Nervenarzt 2022 Jun 20. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Psychotherapeutisches Gesundheitszentrum München, Lindwurmstr. 83, 80337, München, Deutschland.

This article summarizes the current state of research with respect to the new obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRD) grouping according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The ICD-11 grouping of OCRD is based on common clinical features, such as repetitive undesired thoughts and repetitive behavior and is supported by the literature and empirical data from the fields of imaging and genetics. The disorders in this grouping in ICD-11 include obsessive-compulsive disorder, pathological hoarding, body dysmorphic disorder, trichotillomania, excoriation disorder, and as new disorders differing to DSM‑5, hypochondriasis, olfactory reference disorder and Tourette syndrome. Read More

Neurosurg Clin N Am 2022 Jul 25;33(3):311-321. Epub 2022 May 25.

Neurosciences Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical intervention well known for the treatment of movement disorders as well as epilepsy, Tourette syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. DBS was pioneered in the 1950s, however, as a tool for treating facial pain, phantom limb pain, post-stroke pain, and brachial plexus pain among other disease states. Various anatomic targets exist, including the sensory thalamus (ventral posterior lateral and ventral posterior medial), the periaqueductal gray and periventricular gray matter, and the anterior cingulate cortex. Read More

Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2022 Jun 13. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus, 9190501, Jerusalem, Israel.

There is increasing evidence for the effectiveness of behavioral techniques in managing tics in youth with Tourette syndrome and tics disorders (TDs). One such intervention is Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), which focuses on reducing tic severity by training control and regulation. In view of the regulation deficits characteristic to TDs, in the current study, we aimed to explore the contribution of CBIT beyond tic control, to a wider expression of regulation abilities-cognitive inhibition and emotion regulation. Read More

Front Immunol 2022 26;13:843247. Epub 2022 May 26.

Department of Psychiatry, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Centre for Children's Health, Beijing, China.

Background: Tic disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by motor and phonic tic symptoms. Tourette syndrome (TS) is a subtype of tic disorder that shows more persistent tic symptoms. The etiological mechanism of TS concerning immune dysfunction remains unclear due to limited evidence, especially for pediatric TS patients. Read More

Front Aging Neurosci 2022 27;14:873148. Epub 2022 May 27.

Department of Radiology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopment disorder characterized by motor and phonic tics. We investigated the topological alterations in pediatric TS using morphological topological analysis of brain structures. We obtained three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences from 59 drug-naïve pediatric patients with TS and 87 healthy controls. Read More

Front Psychiatry 2022 24;13:862422. Epub 2022 May 24.

Child and Adolescent Neurology and Psychiatric Section, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Catania University, Catania, Italy.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of online remote behavior therapy, compared with face-to-face therapy in reducing tics and co-occurring disorders associated with the tics in a sample of youths with Tourette Syndrome.

Design: A randomized controlled trial. TS patients were randomized to receive face-to-face or online remote behavior therapy. Read More

Prog Brain Res 2022 18;272(1):41-72. Epub 2022 May 18.

Psychiatry Research Group, Burdenko National Medical Research Center of Neurosurgery, Moscow, Russian Federation.

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a heterogeneous disorder, which clinical presentation includes both multiple motor and vocal tics and commonly associated psychiatric conditions (obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, anxiety, etc.). Treatment options primarily consist of non-pharmacological interventions (habit reversal training, relaxation techniques, cognitive behavioral therapy, and social rehabilitation) and pharmacotherapy. Read More

Prog Brain Res 2022 18;272(1):105-123. Epub 2022 May 18.

Department of Neurosurgery, Research Center of Neurology, Moscow, Russian Federation.

Classification of pain syndromes is quite multifaceted. However, pathogenetic classification by which chronic pain syndromes are usually divided into nociceptive, neuropathic and psychogenic, is crucial in choosing treatment tactics. In modern classifications, psychogenic pain is distinguished from nociceptive pain (associated with direct tissue injury or damage) and neuropathic pain (in which lesion can only be determined morphologically). Read More

Prog Brain Res 2022 18;272(1):1-21. Epub 2022 May 18.

Laboratory of Stereotactic Methods, N.P. Bechtereva Institute of Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology, I.I. Mechnikov North-Western State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation; Department of Normal Physiology, I.P. Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation.

Stereotactic cingulotomy and capsulotomy have been used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) and treatment-resistant depression since the 1950s-60s. To date, these surgical procedures have gained a number of advancements due to progress of neuroimaging and upgrading of stereotactic technique. The effectiveness of operations is related to the restoration of the normal level of limbic regulation in treated patients. Read More

Mol Neurobiol 2022 Jun 6. Epub 2022 Jun 6.

School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.

Δ-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-THC) inhibits tics in individuals with Tourette syndrome (TS). Δ-THC has similar affinities for CB/CB cannabinoid receptors. However, the effect of HU-308, a selective CB receptor agonist, on repetitive behaviors has not been investigated. Read More

Dev Med Child Neurol 2022 Jun 6. Epub 2022 Jun 6.

Department of Neurology, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Sydney.

Precision medicine refers to treatments that are targeted to an individual's unique characteristics. Precision medicine for neurodevelopmental disorders (such as cerebral palsy, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder) in children has predominantly focused on advances in genomic sequencing technologies to increase our ability to identify single gene mutations, diagnose a multitude of rare neurodevelopmental disorders, and gain insights into pathogenesis. Although targeting specific gene variants with high penetrance will help some children with rare disease, this approach will not help most children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Read More

Horm Behav 2022 Jun 1;144:105205. Epub 2022 Jun 1.

Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. Electronic address:

Exposure to unfamiliar odorants induces an array of repetitive defensive and non-defensive behaviors in rodents which likely reflect adaptive stress responses to the uncertain valence of novel stimuli. Mice genetically deficient for dopamine β-hydroxylase (Dbh-/-) lack the enzyme required to convert dopamine (DA) into norepinephrine (NE), resulting in globally undetectable NE and supranormal DA levels. Because catecholamines modulate novelty detection and reactivity, we investigated the effects of novel plant-derived odorants on repetitive behaviors in Dbh-/- mice and Dbh+/- littermate controls, which have catecholamine levels comparable to wild-type mice. Read More

Medicina (B Aires) 2022 ;82(3):459-460

Programa de Parkinson y Movimientos Anormales, Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. E-mail:

J Psychiatr Res 2022 Jul 23;151:523-530. Epub 2022 May 23.

Department of Neurology, The Second Medical Center & National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China. Electronic address:

Background: To evaluate the long-term efficacy, prognostic factors, and safety of posteroventral globus pallidus internus deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with refractory Tourette syndrome (RTS).

Methods: This retrospective study recruited 61 patients with RTS who underwent posteroventral globus pallidus internus (GPi) DBS from January 2010 to December 2020 at the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital. The Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome Quality-of-Life Scale (GTS-QOL) were used to evaluate the preoperative and postoperative clinical condition in all patients. Read More

Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen 2022 May 13;142(8). Epub 2022 May 13.

J Integr Neurosci 2022 May;21(3):97

Department of Psychiatry, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children Healthy, 100101 Beijing, China.

Background: Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy that can effectively relieve obsessive-compulsive symptoms and tic symptoms in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette syndrome (TS). However, the effect size of ERP-based therapy is still unclear.

Methods: In this study, we performed a meta-analysis to identify the efficacy of ERP-based therapy for individuals with OCD and TS. Read More

J Integr Neurosci 2022 May;21(3):89

School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University Australia, 2113 Sydney, Australia.

Background: Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome (GTS) is a childhood-onset neuropsychiatric disorder characterised by motor and vocal tics. While Comprehensive Behavioural Intervention for Tics (CBIT) is an effective, non-pharmacological treatment for patients with GTS, the underlying neurophysiological basis of this intervention has not been investigated.

Methods: To investigate the clinical effectiveness of CBIT in reducing tic severity in young people with GTS and explore neurophysiological mechanisms associated with clinical change. Read More

Brain Behav 2022 May 27:e2635. Epub 2022 May 27.

Department of Neurosurgery, the Chinese PLA General Hospital, Haidian, Beijing, China.

Objective: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been used on drug-resistant Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) for more than two decades until now, but the stimulating targets are still under exploration until now. In this study, the authors reported the efficacy of the bilateral posteroventral globus pallidus interna (GPi) DBS on tic severity and neuropsychiatry symptoms of seven individuals with GTS.

Method: Seven patients with drug-resistant GTS were enrolled in this study. Read More

J Child Adolesc Trauma 2022 Jun 15;15(2):221-233. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Department of Geography, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666 USA.

Though preventable, children with disabilities have a high risk of victimization, contributing to worsening health conditions. Hence, this study examined the exposure of school-age children with mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral (MEDB) disorder to bully victimization. This study used the 2018 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) data of 23,494 children ages 5-17 to estimate multilevel logistic regression with fixed and random effects. Read More

Brain Behav 2022 06 20;12(6):e2606. Epub 2022 May 20.

Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, Calgary, Canada.

Background And Purpose: The prognosis of rapid onset functional tic-like behaviors (FTLBs) is unknown. This prospective cohort study describes the course and treatment of rapid onset FTLBs in adolescents (n = 20) and adults (n = 9) previously reported in two case series.

Methods: Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) scores were compared between first clinical presentation and 6-month follow-up assessment. Read More

Sci Rep 2022 May 18;12(1):8300. Epub 2022 May 18.

Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany.

The error-related negativity (ERN) is an event-related potential component indexing processes of performance monitoring during simple stimulus-response tasks: the ERN is typically enhanced for error processing and conflicting response representations. Investigations in healthy participants and different patient groups have linked the ERN to the dopamine system and to prefrontal information processing. As in patients with Tourette Syndrome (TS) both dopamine release and prefrontal information processing are impaired, we hypothesized that performance monitoring would be altered, which was investigated with magnetencephalography (MEG). Read More

BMJ Open 2022 05 16;12(5):e047343. Epub 2022 May 16.

Department of Psychiatry, Beijing Children's Hospital, Beijing, China

Introduction: Tic disorder (TD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children, and it can be categorised into three subtypes: provisional tic disorder (PTD), chronic motor or vocal TD (CMT or CVT), and Tourette syndrome (TS). An early diagnostic classification among these subtypes is not possible based on a new-onset tic symptom. Machine learning tools have been widely used for early diagnostic classification based on functional MRI (fMRI). Read More

Rev Neurosci 2022 May 16. Epub 2022 May 16.

Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University, Moorenstr. 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.

The precise cortical and subcortical mechanisms of Tourette syndrome (TS) are still not fully understood. In the present retrospective analysis, adolescent and adult medication-naïve patients showed increased DA transporter (DAT) binding in nucleus caudate (CAUD), putamen (PUT) and/or whole neostriatum (NSTR). D receptor (R) binding and DA release were not different from controls throughout the nigrostriatal and mesolimbocortical system. Read More

J Neurol 2022 May 14. Epub 2022 May 14.

Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.

Background: Dystonic tics differ from clonic tics by their slower and more sustained nature. Dystonic tics are often present in patients with Tourette syndrome (TS) and other tic-disorders. However, their phenomenology and impact on overall impairment have not been extensively studied. Read More

F1000Res 2022 13;11:45. Epub 2022 Jan 13.

Department of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA.

We present here research from 2020 relevant to Tourette syndrome (TS). The authors briefly summarize a few reports they consider most important or interesting. Read More