Altered structural cerebral cortex in children with Tourette syndrome

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Radiology
• Genetics

Background:

• Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics.
• The underlying neurobiological mechanisms of TS are not fully understood, but structural brain abnormalities are suspected.
• Investigating anatomical alterations in the cerebral cortex may provide insights into TS pathophysiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate anatomical alterations of the cerebral cortex in children with Tourette syndrome (TS) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
• To explore potential relationships between observed brain deficits and clinical symptoms in children with TS.

Main Methods:

• Sixty children diagnosed with TS and 52 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were recruited.
• High-resolution 3.0T MRI scans with three-dimensional T1-weighted images (3DT1WI) were acquired for all participants.
• Surface-based analyses using FreeSurfer software were performed to extract cortical thickness, sulcus, curvature, and local gyrification index (LGI).

Main Results:

• Children with TS exhibited significant differences in cortical thickness, sulcus, curvature, and LGI compared to healthy controls.
• Altered cortical thickness was noted in regions including the postcentral gyrus, superior parietal gyrus, and rostral anterior cingulate cortex (left), and frontal pole, lateral occipital gyrus, and inferior temporal gyrus (right).
• No significant differences in brain surface area were found between the TS group and controls.

Conclusions:

• Cortical thickness, sulcus, curvature, and LGI are altered in multiple brain regions in children with Tourette syndrome.
• These findings suggest widespread cortical structural changes associated with TS in pediatric populations.
• Further research is warranted to correlate these anatomical findings with specific clinical manifestations of TS.