Abnormal individualized functional connectivity: A potential stimulation target for pediatric tourette syndrome

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Movement Disorders
• Brain Connectivity

Background:

• Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics.
• Aberrant functional connectivity (FC) in basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuits is implicated in TS pathophysiology.
• Identifying specific circuit abnormalities may reveal therapeutic targets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate individualized peak functional connectivity (FC) between the motor cortex and the globus pallidus internus (GPi) in children with TS.
• To explore the relationship between aberrant FC and Tourette syndrome severity.
• To determine if peak FC locations could serve as targets for repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) therapy.

Main Methods:

• Compared FC in 103 children with TS and 66 controls, using the GPi as a seed region.
• Analyzed peak FC strength in the supplementary motor area (SMA) and premotor area.
• Examined spatial distribution of peak FC and GPi-based voxel-wise FC.

Main Results:

• Children with TS showed significantly lower peak FC in the left SMA when the left GPi was the seed.
• Reduced left SMA-GPi peak FC negatively correlated with Yale Global Tic Severity Scale scores.
• Aberrant SMA-GPi connectivity is a key pathological feature in Tourette syndrome.

Conclusions:

• Functional connectivity between the SMA and GPi is a critical pathological circuit in Tourette syndrome.
• Individualized peak FC in the left SMA represents a potential therapeutic target for rTMS treatment in TS.