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Investigations on Alterations of Hippocampal Circuit Function Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: November 19, 2012
Tics after traumatic brain injury.
Nishant Ranjan1, Krishnan Padmakumari Sivaraman Nair, Charles Romanoski
1Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.
Brain Injury
|May 4, 2011
Summary
Adult onset tics developed in a man one year after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). This case highlights a rare complication of TBI affecting neural circuits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Tics are involuntary, stereotyped muscle contractions, often associated with Tourette syndrome, typically starting in childhood.
- Adult onset tics are uncommon, making this case report significant.
- Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to various neurological sequelae.
Observation:
- A 19-year-old male developed motor and vocal tics one year post-TBI from a road traffic accident.
- Pre-injury, the patient had no history of tics or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- Brain MRI revealed lesions in the basal ganglia.
Findings:
- This case presents a rare instance of late-onset tics following TBI.
- Literature review identified only four prior publications on adult tics post-TBI.
- Unlike previous reports, this patient had basal ganglia lesions, suggesting a specific neuroanatomical correlate.
Implications:
- Late-onset tics following TBI may result from delayed effects on fronto-basal ganglia neural circuits.
- TBI could unmask underlying predispositions to tic disorders.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for managing post-TBI neurological complications.
